Page 77 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

‘Youdid?’ Confusion fills her face. She honestly doesn’t remember?

‘Storytime,’ I say with a shy grin. ‘Picture it.’ I motion my hands like an invisible movie screen is in front of us. ‘I was staying the night with your brother, as usual. He always fell asleep first, and I could never sleep. I don’t know why.’

I know why. We’re getting there.

‘That night was warm. We rarely had warm nights in May. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to have a little night swim. I loved that your parents were the first to get their pool going every year. I adored that pool. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m a total romantic, and night swimming seemed romantic to me.’

‘You were romancing yourself?’ she asks with a laugh.

I chuckle, now a tad embarrassed. No way am I admitting that. ‘Anyway, I was in the pool when you got home.’

‘Oh my god,’ she says suddenly. ‘You were. I remember. Mom and Dad always left the back door unlocked when we were out late because River and I lost house keys like it was our job. When I turned the corner into the backyard that night, you scared the crap out of me.’

I nod. ‘It didn’t help that I was naked,’ I say, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. That’s great, now I’m blushing.Blow by it, Dax. Just focus on the story.

‘Once I’d finally convinced you to stop laughing and throw my boxers in, you settled down.’

‘I saw nothing,’ she says, a coy grin growing on her pretty face.

‘Your loss.’ I wink. ‘We talked that night. Do you remember?’

She shrugs. ‘A little?’

‘Lucky for you, I remember. We were sitting poolside in the dark; the only light was from the water and the moon. Our feet were dangling in the pool, and we were talking about everything our teenage selves were going through. I don’t remember every word I said, but one thing I do. It still stands today. Well, two things stand then and now.’

A hesitant curious grin hangs at the edge of her lips.

‘I said you were beautiful that night. I’d never said that to a girl before. You were then, and you are now. Even more so if possible.’

‘You’d never said that before me?’

‘You were my first.’

She drops her head, attempting to hide the embarrassment plastered on her face.

‘You were always too good for Justin McCarthy, Hols. That’s what I said that night. Almost twelve years later, I think the same thing about Tristan. I always have. He never deserved you.’

Her gaze meets mine, her eyes glazed over with tears that slide down her face before she can wipe them away.

‘I don’t understand. I’ve been nothing but a pain in your ass since I got here, and yet you’ve never once hesitated to pull me from whatever pit of depression or self-doubt I’ve had. I don’t deserveyou.’

‘Not true. I told you this story to prove I’ve always had your best interests at heart. You trusted me with your problems as a teen, and I promise you can trust me with them now, too. Tell me what happened with you and Tristan, and I can help. We’re not kids anymore; please let me try.’

She takes a moment, but finally, she relaxes, breathing deeply, then blowing the air out dramatically.

‘When I started college, my roommate was a girl from southern California. Victoria Kelly. A woman with a trust fund ten times the size of my own. She was very Celeste.’

Maybe that’s why she doesn’t like her? Here I thought she may have been jealous, but in reality, Celeste just reminds her of someone else.

‘We were pretty much a couple of spoiled brats living college life like it was an all-inclusive paid vacation. Victoria was sophisticated and beautiful and had so many friends. Everyone liked her. As you know, I’m not exactly the most adventurous spirit, so she was always convincing me to do things I normally wouldn’t. Things like sleeping with my college professor.’ She sighs. ‘Every girl in school had a crush on him. He was very George Clooney. A gazillion signs were trying to warn me. Honestly, if a red flag exists, I’ve probably ignored it.’ She rolls her eyes. ‘When I gave Tristan my heart, I gave him way too much of myself too.’

‘We all learn that life lesson.’

‘Didyou?’

‘Yeah,’ I answer honestly. ‘At a young age.’

She looks genuinely surprised by this.

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