Not good enough for the golden boy. You can do better than this.
“What the fuck?” My voice echoes, ricocheting off the beams in his fancy ceiling. “He wrote you anti-love notes? ”
Cade doesn’t seem to grasp just how pissed off I am, because he looks downright cheerful as I plunge my hand back into the box. But my curse is cut short when my fingers snag on something daintier.
Screw yellow legal pads. Pink is better. Thanks for being honest
My chest tightens as I continue sifting through the box, finding more pink scattered in the yellow.
Great stop on that rocket from Ulysses! You’re a machine tonight
Rookie of the year? I think yes
Just be Cade. That’s all that matters
It’s kind of annoying how good you are at this
How cool is it to be Cade? Looks pretty fun to me
Stop beating yourself up over one mistake. One mistake doesn’t dictate the entire game unless you let it, so don’t
By the time I’ve read every pink sticky note, my vision is a kaleidoscope of light and colors from the tears clouding my vision.
“You kept these?” I ask, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.
“Every single one.”
“Why?” I ask. I need to know.
Cade shakes his head at me like I should know the answer. “Because you wrote them for me. At first, it reminded me of our BYOB nights, and I was happy to have them back in some form. We may not have been breaking down each game side by side, but your feedback was always special to me.” With a lazy smile, he hands me a shoe box. “Now open this.”
I follow his instructions, and the sight of more pink sticky notes makes me hesitate. These aren’t from the last three months. They’re faded, crumpled, and ripped, with doodled smiley faces looking up at me.
Appointment with team doc for my hammy. Come by after?
Mally’s making spaghetti. Invite Kenneth if he promises to act right
30-minute nap! New record!
I’ll be studying at the library tonight for a sports marketing exam, but stop by and keep me company if you have time
My heart stutters as I lift the last note I wrote him. I had mailed it to him a week before things ended between us.
What are the odds you come home right now? I miss you
“This is what I used to counteract Jon’s notes.” Cade hauls himself from the stool, steps behind me, and brackets me in his arms. “After I ruined things, these notes were the only way I could hear your voice. I always read them in hopes that your words, your love, would outweigh the bad until all I could see and hear was you.” A rush of air escapes my lungs as his chest presses against my back. “And if it isn’t clear, all I see is you, Shay,” he continues, breath dancing across my collarbone. “And you see me. You’re the person I want to tell everything to at the end ofthe day. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I can’t change the past, but I can promise there will be no more running away. I want to run to you always.”
Each word sinks into my skin like a tattoo of his promise, but it doesn’t hurt or sting. And even if it’s stupid of me, I know I believe him.
I only get one last moment in his embrace before he backs away. He wasn’t lying about letting me take the lead. He’s a gentleman to his core.
It’s one of my favorite things about him.
Clearing his throat, he opens the pantry. “Want to stay and make s’mores with me? I got chocolate bars with almonds because you like them crunchy.”
A quick peek at the clock tells me it’s way too late. Dinner went past our reservation, because after the impromptu speeches, Holly challenged everyone to a rematch and won again.
However, I’m not ready to go home yet.
