Page 139 of Tag

I’d call it ours, and make sure I ruined him for anyone else but me right back. I had spent so long convincing myself this could never happen, watching him flirt, watching girls throw themselves at him, watching him be with someone else.

I told myself that it was love, too. The quiet, one-sided kind that meant letting him go. I had tried to accept that the closest we’d ever get was memories and maybes. That one day, I’d be clapping at his wedding, smiling on the outside while dying on the inside. Now I was finding out he’d wanted me from the beginning, and I was too in denial to ever see it.

One version of us had always hurt to imagine, but this one felt surreal. I didn’t want him to be frustrated over it. I exhaled slowly, forcing a small smile as my fingers curled around the edge of his jacket. “I heard you, Ryder. Every word. I need to catch up to where you’re at with all this and not get lost in the process.” I pulled back slightly. “Besides… if you ruin me too fast, you’ll miss out on all the ways I plan on ruining you back.”

He grinned. “I like this. I want more of it. You unfiltered, saying shit you don’t even realize wrecks me in the best way.”

I smiled back at him. “We’re okay then?”

“We’ll always be okay, Sass. Even with the growing pains. We’ve been each other’s everything our whole lives. This is an adjustment, but it won’t be hard. Not for us.” He leaned in one last time and pressed a kiss to my forehead, my favorite kind. Then he stepped back and held out his hand. “Now give me your hand and stop stressing that beautiful brain of yours.”

I didn’t hesitate.

I slid my fingers through his, holding his hand like I had a million times before, and cradled my book with the other. We walked in silence down the aisle of towering books, the weight of what just happened lingering between us. In a few hours, we’d be homebound. Crowsfell and all the people that came with itwere out of the way this weekend, and I had a sinking suspicion he planned to take full advantage of that fact.

“What do you have to do next?”

“Heading to the gym with the guys before conditioning,” he answered, his thumb brushing lazy circles over my knuckles like he didn’t even realize he was doing it.

“Just don’t overwork yourself.”

He smirked, cocky and unbothered. “You know me. I can handle anything.”

“God, you’re such a guy.”

He leaned closer as we descended the stairs, all heat and arrogance. “Gotta stay in shape for football… and so I can toss my girl around a room. Maybe press her against a wall or two.”

“Stop it.” I nudged him with my shoulder, unable to stop the flush that bloomed up my neck, or the way my fingers tightened around his.

He glanced down, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “I’m guessing that books for your paper due next Thursday?”

I looked up at him, amused. For as long as I could remember, he memorized my class schedules before I did and always knew what assignments I had coming up.

“That’s exactly what it’s for.” I lifted the book to give him a better look at it.

“You could have avoided all this if you had told me what you were looking for. I would have gotten you the digital version.”

“I like physical books better. Besides, I doubt there's an eBook of something this old.”

Ryder chuckled softly. “You'd be surprised at the things I can find online.”

“Now you sound like you're about to trade crypto for a PDF on some sketchy corner of the dark web.”

“I mean, if it gets you the book…”

I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. “Wouldn’t that be illegal?”

“Do you think I'm above breaking the law for you?”

“I don't need you catching a case because I procrastinated on an assignment.”

“That implies I’d get caught.”

I laughed, then bit the inside of my cheek, debating on how I should broach this next subject. “So, that guy I didn’t know you knew until today, Vincent, do you think he’s in on The Hunt?”

“He’s not someone you need to worry about.”

“I’m not worried,” I replied evenly. “I’m curious.”

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