A swallow pushes down my throat when she turns and walks over to the stairs, climbing them one by one until she’s standing right in front of me.
“Fiancé,” she says in response, a barely there smile on her pink lips.
My eyebrows rise in surprise. “Fiancé, eh? Having a change of heart?”
She shrugs before crossing her arms over her thin shirt.
“Are you cold?” I ask, ready to shed my own. It’s sweaty, but at least it’d be another layer.
“I’m sorry,” she blurts.
She’s sorry?
I try to think of a reason why she thinks she should be apologizing to me.
“I didn’t even ask you about the game last night,” she adds.
As if on cue, she begins nervously chewing on her lip, eyes anywhere but on me. Without thought, I grab a hold of her chin and pull on her lip so it plops out from behind her teeth. Those brown eyes send something warm into my chest, and I think I may be addicted to her.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Me losing a game is nothing compared to your situation.”
She huffs sarcastically. “It was selfish of me.”
My eyebrows cave with anger, and my grip on her chin tightens. “Stop.”
Her long eyelashes flutter as she peers at me. “Stop what?”
“Belittling yourself.”
Her gaze skitters away with a long, drawn-out sigh. “I’m still sorry.”
“Well, don’t be.”
We stand there in the quiet of the arena with my hand on her chin, her eyes staring at her feet.
I’m desperate for her to tell me exactly what happened in the mediation, but I know Reese better than before. She’ll tell me when she’s ready–ifshe’s ready.
“Is that why you came to my practice?” I ask.
Surely it wasn’t just to apologize about something she has nothing to be sorry about.
She finally swings her attention back to me. I beg to know what’s going through her mind. So many quiet truths and worries trapped behind her brown eyes.
“No,” she breathes the word out. “I came because…”
With a shaky hand, she grabs onto my wrist, her fingernails digging into my skin to garner my attention.
“I came because I need you.”
My world stops spinning.
She needs me?
I stare down into her eyes with my chest threatening to break open so I can hand her my heart.
“You need me?” I repeat.Did I hear her right?
Reese nods softly, her cheeks ripening with a flush. My mouth curves as my other hand snakes around her waist. I pull her into my chest, a quick breath leaving her mouth.
