“What?” I gaped at him. “But you always wanted to play for Minnesota.”
His eyes softened. “True. But Michigan was one of the schools that scouted me. At first I turned them down, but by senior year, I realized they had one distinct advantage over Minnesota—it’s where you were going to be.”
I couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around this. “But?—”
“I wascrazyabout you Grace. Absolutely head over heels. Didn’t think I ever had a chance with you.”
A snort of laughter erupted. “Youdidn’t have a chance withme?What planet are you on? You were the most popular guy in school.”
“And you wereyou,” he said simply, like that meant something. “So smart and loyal and kind and funny. So fucking gorgeous. What would you want with a guy like me?”
“Liam.”
He brought his palms to my face, cradling my cheeks and cutting me off. “When you agreed to go to prom with me, though, I started to think maybe I did have a chance. I felt hopeful enough that I got in touch with that scout from Michigan to see if they might still be interested.”
Now I really did feel like my head was going to explode. “But Chloe?—”
“Lied.” He face looked harder than I think I had ever seen it. “She lied, Grace. I wanted to go to prom with you.” His thumb swept out to wipe away a tear I didn’t realize had slipped from my eye and his voice softened. “Of course I wanted to go with you. I was fucking heartbroken when you backed out.”
I could only shake my head, too overcome with emotion to speak. There was something like joy simmering in my chest but it battled thick regret. Why had I believed Chloe? Why couldn’t I have just been brave enough to talk to Liam?
Just like I wasn’t brave enough to say how I really felt in my kitchen that day.
Well, that was going to change right now.
“I love you, too,” I blurted out, my hands going to his chest as I stared up into those beautiful blue eyes. “I’m so in love with you, Liam.”
He went still, his eyes wide. “Yeah?”
I laughed through a sob. “Of course I am.”
His eyes closed, relief washing over his face. “Thank fuck.” Then his eyes snapped open. “Say it again,” he demanded.
That had me laughing harder, and soon Liam was joining me, looking down at me, so happy it took my breath away. We stood there in the hallway alone, laughing like idiots, our eyes wet, and I knew that this was the feeling I’d been waiting for my entire life.
Love. Acceptance. Commitment.
Liam. Finally mine, for real.
“I love you—” And even though he had been the one to demand I repeat myself, he cut me off with a kiss before I could even finish the words. His kiss was desperate, his mouth hot and demanding against mine. He kissed me with all the intensity of a man whose lips hadn’t met mine since we left New York.
“Never again,” he murmured against my mouth, as if he had read my mind. “I never want to go that long without kissing you ever again.”
“I can get behind that.”
His expression turned suddenly serious as he pulled back to get a good look at me. “I don’t want to hide any more, Gracie. I know we’ll need to be discreet with your job, but no more sneaking around from the people in our lives. I want—Ineed— this to be real.”
I nodded, even as the ghosts of my nerves danced in my chest. “I don’t want to hide either. In fact, we should tell Andy.”
He smirked. “Andy knows.” He gestured behind him at the glass walls to the gym. “How do you think this all happened?”
I blinked over his shoulder. I had completely forgotten about whatever was happening in there, what with the life changing romantic declarations happening in this hallway.
This is your prom,Andy had said.
I gasped. “Liam, what did you do?”
He just grinned. “Surprise.”
