No exclamation mark—nothing. I’ve read bank statements with more emotion.
Aster’s isn’t much better. It reads, ‘I always knew you could do it.’
Why didn’t she tell me that sooner? Why didn’t she have my back while my parents berated me?
It stings, but I refuse to let it dampen this moment. In protest, I still smile for the camera.
I can’t stop smilingthe entire drive back to the campsite. I’ve decided to deal with my feelings about my parents later. This is one of the best days of my life, and I’m not going to let them ruin it.
The waterworks start flowing again. Reid pulls off to the side of the road and places his hand on the inside of my thigh. “What’s wrong? You just crushed Red Bull Rampage. You should be stoked.”
His voice is laced with worry. I try to wipe away the tears, but it just makes them fall faster.
In choked out words I confess, “That’s why I’m crying.”
He looks bewildered. “I don’t get it.”
“I just can’t believe I did that.”
Reid reaches over and cradles my head against his chest. “Oh, Addie. I think everyone but you knew you could do it.”
He places a kiss on top of my sweaty head, and I fall apart. I sob into his shirt without caring to stop—not that I could if I wanted to. All of the tension from this season comes flooding out of me all at once.
Reid breathes steadily, and I do my best to match my own inhales to his. The words he whispers into my hair are too quiet for me to make out, but they comfort me all the same. I sit theresobbing for longer than I want to admit. Reid sits with me, and he doesn’t pressure me to stop the waterworks once—he lets me cry and holds me while I do it.
Once the tears stop flowing, Reid tips my chin up again, and this time he kisses me soft and slow. His tongue glides over my lower lip, gently asking for approval, and I return the gesture. He tastes a little salty from my deluge of tears.
My heart rate is rising again—it’s in my throat as I finally let my feelings bubble to the surface. This feels so right. I don’t want to live another day denying this is what I want—what I need.
He pulls back, his hand still on the nape of my neck, and closes his eyes. I panic for half a second. Maybe he felt nothing? I felteverything,but maybe he didn’t.
“Addie, we have to stop.”
Oh, this is it. I got my happily ever after for five seconds and now it’s all blowing away before I can hang onto it. My face falls.
His thumb trails over my neck gently.
“We can’t do this on the side of the road. It’s getting indecent.”
That’s when I let my eyes drift to the marks my teeth left on his throat and my rumpled up hair. It’s still wet, getting curlier by the second as it starts to dry. I cover my mouth as I suppress a giggle.
He pulls my hand away and clamps it in his own. “Don’t cover your smile, Adelaide.” Reid’s looking at me with adoration. I’m resisting the urge to look away, uncomfortable with the focused attention.
I sit back in the passenger seat and sigh, trying to commit this moment to memory before it fades away. The sun is starting to set over the horizon, painting the red sandstone cliffs in shades of pink and orange. It’s beautiful.
Reid brushes his thumb over my hand in steady circles, hisother hand gripping the steering wheel tightly. His forearms are flexed, bringing out those veins I love so much. “Why don’t we get a celebratory milkshake to cool off a little.”
All I want is to head back to the campsite, but we’ve waited this long, so what’s another detour? Plus, I really do deserve a treat after surviving that shit.
My eyes are trained on his mouth as he slurps his milkshake. “I think it’s all gone.”
“No, you’re just impatient to get home.”
“I’m in no rush to get back to Colorado.”
His eyebrow cocks up. “Oh yeah?”
I lace lust into my words. “Oh yeah.”
