My face flushes, and tears spring to my eyes. I thought I could trust him, I thought I was the only girl he wanted to flirt with, but clearly, I was wrong. He lied to me, just like Neil. And to do it at the same party I’m at? It’s the ultimate betrayal.
My heart cracks and the tears begin to spill. I have to get out of here, and before I know it, I’m passing Ivy my drink and pushing through the crowd. Unfortunately, Reid and the girl are by the door, and I try not to look at them as I pass them.
Reid’s attention catches on me as I rush by, and he calls out my name. I ignore it and quickly exit the apartment. Jacob lives on the third floor, so I make quick work of getting down the first flight of steps before I hear Reid call my name again as he tries to keep up with me.
“No!” I say when he asks me to wait.
I make it to the first floor and rush toward the door. Cold air greets me and licks at the fresh tears on my cheeks. I begin to power walk on the sidewalk, which is difficult in heels, but no matter how fast I go, Reid’s strides are longer.
He snags me by the elbow and spins me to face him. “What is wrong?” he asks, taking in my tears with concern.
I look away from him and yank my arm out of his grasp.
“Avery?” he presses, stepping closer to me. “Why are you crying? Why are you running from me?”
Whipping my gaze back to his, I pin him with a murderous stare. “You know, I thought you were different, Reid. But you’re just like every other guy.”
He frowns. “What are you talking about?”
I throw my hands in the air. “I saw you flirting with that girl.”
His eyes go wide, and for a second, he says nothing. “Are you talking about Dorothy?”
“Oh, is that her name?” I ask sarcastically.
“She’s just a friend, Avery,” he whispers in shock.
“It looked more than friendly to me,” I grumble, losing my fight because it’s happening all over again.
He reaches for my face and cups both of my cheeks so that my attention is solely on his eyes. “I’ve known Dorothy since we were kids. It’s a long story, and I’m not going to lie to you, but my parents wanted us to get married.”
Fresh tears fall as I whisper, “So you’re engaged?”
He shakes his head. “I told my parents that I refuse to marry her, that I had someone else that I loved. I was telling Dorothy that tonight, and we agreed to remain friends and only friends.”
I freeze in his arms. “Love?”
A smile spreads across his face, and he rubs his thumbs over my wet cheeks. “You caught that, did you?”
“You love me?” I ask, the anger slowly fading as shock takes over.
He nods and waits patiently for me to come to terms with the fact that he said the ‘L’ word first. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while now, but I wasn’t sure if you felt the same, all things considered. I wanted to give you time before I bombarded you with that declaration. But it slipped out, and I can’t take it back and -”
“You love me,” I repeat more for myself than for him.
“You’re panicking, aren’t you.” He lets go of my cheeks and rubs at his jaw.
I shake my head and wipe away my tears. “I love you too, Reid.”
His gaze flicks back to mine, and he searches my face for the lie. When he finds none, he wraps an arm around my middle and tugs me to him. “You do?” he asks, his forehead on mine.
I nod, new tears for a completely different reason gathering in my eyes.
He takes my mouth, kissing me deeply, and I melt into him.
This is a big step for me, admitting I found love in another man. A man who is honorable. Trustworthy. A man I second-guessed because I saw something I thought meant one thing but was another.
I never said I wasn’t an idiot sometimes.
