Dax wraps his arms around me. “I’ve been trying to think of a way to show you that we can be together on our own, free from all the drama of Duncan.”
I roll my eyes. I still can’t believe he is caught up in illegal gambling and throwing games. I never thought he would stoop so low. And when they showed all the women he was with? I wasn’t surprised at all. He finally got what he had coming to him when they started speaking up about what a douchebag he is.
It’s what Dax and I have known since the beginning, yet no one wanted to believe us. The cherry on top? Duncan was banned from the league.
“You really got this for me?” I ask again, trying to wrap my head around it.
“Yes. I want your dream to come true. I don’t carethat my parents think what happened to Duncan is my fault. We know the truth. As long as I have you, I have everything I need. You can check off the last item on your list, I get to be with you, and hopefully bring The Cup home.”
“Dax.” Emotion chokes my voice.
“I have one more surprise.”
“More than this?”
Dax clears his throat and pulls a piece of paper from his pocket.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, easy smile, my best friend
You create the charms, but you’re the charmer
You want to be spicy mustard, but you’re yellow
But that’s okay, cause I think you’re spicy
You want to try anything and everything
Even if it scares you and me
And I don’t care if you never want to marry
Because to me, you’re perfect
Boring yellow mustard and all
So don’t try to change and be spicy
Because I love you the way you are
And no matter what happens
It will always be the two of us together
I love you, Chloe. I love you, forever.
“You wrote me a poem?”Tears spill over my eyes.
“I was trying to be Shakespeare. He’s the epitome of romance.”
“He is.”
“I don’t think I got it quite right. There were a lot of rules and I figured what the hell, just write it.”
“It’s perfect, Dax.” I shake my head. “Shakespeare couldn’t have done better if he tried.”
I pull the paper from his hand to see it. Little dots pepper the edges. No doubt from him trying to brainstorm ideas and tapping his pen on the paper. A few lines are crossed out.
“I want you, Chloe. I want us to break away from all the expectations we’ve put on ourselves to be better than people who don’t care about us.”
