Boone shakes his head. His dark blond hair hangs into his eyes. “Yes, I was with Lucy last night, but we weren’t together, Sutton. She just got engaged. She wanted to tell me face to face.”
I blink at him in confusion.
“What…?” I whisper.
“Lucy and I ended up talking for a long, long time last night, but it was nothing underhanded. We talked about what it means to be happy and how much we’ve both changed and grown since leaving Texas. Lucy was sitting there telling me how sorry she was for cheating on me, but at the same time, she was glad that it happened because it led her to where she is now. And honestly, I agreed with her, because it led me to you, Sutton.”
My eyelashes flutter. I can’t remember how to breathe or swallow or move. I can hardly even remember how to speak. “Me?”
Boone leans toward me like he wants to touch me, but instead, he plants his hands in the sand in front of me.
“You want honest, I’ll give you honest. I’ve been falling for you from day one, darlin’,” he says. “You weren’t just some cute girl in a bar that needed help. You were just…you were justyou. You’re so beautiful and funny and sassy and sweet and charming and confident. I wanted you then and I want you now, but I can’t fake this anymore. I have feelings for you, Sutton. I broke a rule. Maybe the most important one. And now, I don’t want to give you up because of it.”
Boone stares down at the sand, chin falling to his chest. His hands curl into wounded, tight fists.
I gaze at him, stunned beyond belief.
This whole time I was fighting feelings for Boone, he was doing the exact same thing? I had no idea.
“You’re too good at acting,” he continues weakly, eyes still down at the sand. “The line between what’s real and fake got too blurred for me. I can’t have my arms around you, my lips on yours, and not have you belong to me heart and soul, Sutton. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could hide my feelings, but I simply can’t anymore.”
My heart squeezes in my chest.
“It wasn’t fake for me, either,” I whisper, the words leaving my mouth before I can even think of stopping them. “None of it was, Boone.”
He lifts his head sharply. But instead of his eyes meeting mine, he gazes dazedly out at the ocean for a moment, blinking hard and shaking his head as if he thinks the sound of crashing waves has messed with his hearing before he slowly turns back toward me.
“Sutton, are you saying…?” he whispers, voice shaking faintly.
Despite my earlier promise, tears pool in the corners of my eyes. But this time, they aren’t tears of sadness. They’re tears of pure joy.
“I’m saying I’ve been trying to act like I'm not truly falling for you, Boone, but the truth is that I knew I was in trouble from the first minute we met,” I tell him. “You think any girl would be able to resist your handsome face, cute accent, and charming chivalry? Of course, I fell for you. I fell so hard that I’d rather be with you in a fake relationship than be without you for a minute.”
A faint roar of shock and joy rumbles through Boone. He gently cups my face and rests his forehead on mine. I can feel his hands shaking, but my whole body is vibrating, too.
“I want to be with you, darlin’,” he says, his breath warm on my lips. “I want to be with you for real—forever. All you have to do is say yes.”
“Yes!” I answer immediately. “As if I could ever even think of saying no.”
He chuckles and the sound is music to my ears. He pulls me close, arms circling me, and I melt into his strong chest. He tips my head up toward his, mouth finding mine once more.
Though we’ve already kissed, this sweet smooch sends shockwaves of joy rippling through me like I’ve never felt before. This time, the kiss is the promise with new beginnings and real joy. There’s nothing fake about it.
Our relationship might’ve started out full of lies, but the honest truth is that we were meant for one another all along.
EPILOGUE
Every single Coyotes’ fan in the stadium is on the edge of their seats as the timer continues ticking swiftly down. My eyes dart desperately between the clock and the field. Rugby players dart and weave across the grass so quickly and powerfully that I almost can’t find my blue-eyed, blond-haired sexy southern sweetie amongst them. But somehow, I manage.
“Go, Coyotes, go!” I shout at the top of my lungs. I’ve been cheering so loud for them this whole game that I’ve almost lost my voice. But I don’t care. I love it.
Kali and Liv are on either side of me. The three of us hold each other’s hands and breathlessly hope for one more miracle shot, but the time is almost completely run out.
“Come on!” I plead desperately, just as Boone breaks away from the pack of muscled athletes.
Sweat glistens on his tan forehead. His powerful legs carry him across the field as he holds the ball tightly under his arm. He flies past the opponent’s try line, successfully grounding the ball on their side and earning the Coyotes enough points to win the tight championship match.
Immediately, the entire stadium erupts in cheers. Kali, Liv, and I jump to our feet and shriek with delight.
