Page 107 of Now or Never

There was a really good chance he’d succeed.

Which meant there was an equally good chance that Adam was totally fucked.

But he meant what he’d said. He wouldn’t give up. He just needed to think of a way to show her how much he loved her and make her understand he would love her until the end of time, even long after he was gone.

thirty-three

“Sorry about that,” Chelsea said, taking another step toward Scott’s car and trying desperately to shake off the image of Adam’s face. She knew he regretted what had happened. And she had no doubt he loved her. But she wouldn’t take a chance on a flighty guy like that again.

Scott was the right choice.

“Ready?” she asked when she realized she was the only one moving.

Scott glanced between her and the presents on the porch in silence. Back and forth. Back and forth. Until finally, he dropped the bouquet he was holding to his hip, slumped his shoulders forward, and sighed.

“Chelsea, I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do this.”

Chelsea shook her head. “It’s all over between Adam and me. Really. You don’t have to worry about him.”

Scott winced. “It really doesn’t seem that way. Besides, I’ve known Adam since I was a kid, and he’s never, and I meannever,been serious about someone. I can’t be the one to . . . try to steal his girl.”

“I’m not his girl,” she said, ready to grab her date by the arm and drag him to the car while he protested. “We weren’t even really together.”

“He looked heartbroken, Chelsea.”

Chelsea felt her own heartbreak at the thought of Adam being heartbroken, but only for a moment. She shook it off and stared at her date, unable to believe this was happening. He’d been happy when she called, eager to make plans for them to go out for dinner, and now he was bailing on her.

How was itthisimpossible to find a dude that would follow through?

“So you’re standing me up, then?” she asked.

Scott lifted a hand through his hair, looked her up and down, then blew out an almost astonished laugh. “I can’t believe it, but yes. I’m so sorry. If things really end with Adam, please call me.”

Chelsea sighed, resisting the urge to yell at him that thingswereover, but she wouldn’t stoop to begging, no matter how much she wanted to finally go out on a date.

“Why do you care so much about what Adam thinks? Did he save your puppy from getting hit by a car or something?”

Scott laughed. “No. But he helped me build a wheelchair ramp on my grandmother’s house. She’s ninety-three. He refused to take her money, too.”

Chelsea hummed and nodded. “Saint Adam strikes again.”

Scott laughed. “You’re funny,” he said, his gaze sliding down her body. “I must be out of my mind,” he muttered as he passed her the bouquet and walked to the driver’s door. “I’ll see you around, Chelsea.”

She waved him goodbye as he went down the driveway, standing in the gravel, wondering whether he’d come to his senses and come back, but he didn’t. She let out a sigh, walkedpast the mountain of presents on the porch and back inside, then kicked off her shoes, which flew across the floor until they hit the wall.

“Chels?” Jae said, coming around the corner with Vincent close behind.

She’d planned to leave Jae and Vincent brainstorming in the kitchen for a few hours while she went out with hot daddy. The bright side was that she wouldn’t miss out on any of the planning. She’d much rather be on that date, though.

“Why are you back?” Vincent asked.

“I got stood up.”

Vincent and Jae both looked shocked, which made Chelsea’s ego pick herself up off the floor a little. She filled them in before calling to Ben to go out to the porch and bring all the presents inside before it started raining.

“Oh my God,” Jae said, walking to the kitchen table and slumping in a chair.

Vincent stood staring at the front door as Ben brought in armload after armload full of presents.

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