Getting Schooled (The Wright Brothers #1)(56)

“Let’s finish this up,” she said, her voice carrying a slight strain that she cleared her throat to try to conceal. “Let’s race. Last mile.”

I chuckled. “You really want to do that?”

“I can beat you.”

“Yeah, sure. What do I get when I win?”

“I’ll treat you to Batter Up.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Really, Reese? Waffles after a run?”

She shrugged. “If I win, you treat. Celebration breakfast for your internship.”

Yeah.

More like comfort breakfast, after the news I’d just dropped in her lap. Win or lose, I was paying anyway. “Fine. I’ll count, because I don’t trust you.”

“Whatever Jason.”

I shook my head as we walked to the next light post that lined the sidewalks of the campus. I looked at her for confirmation. “We’ll go on three, aiight? You ready?” She nodded. “Okay. One. T—”

I knew she was going to do that shit.

My mouth was barely making the “T” sound before Reese shot off, at an honestly impressive pace. I blew out a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second before I took off behind her. It didn’t take me long to catch up.

I grabbed her around the waist, pulling her off of her feet. She screamed as I pulled her against me, planting a kiss against the back of her neck.

“Put me down!”

I obliged her demand, laughing at how hard she scowled at me once her feet were back on the ground. “You know you forfeited by cheating, right? No Batter Up. Scrambled eggs and oatmeal.”

She sucked her teeth. “Whatever. I’ll probably be ending the night with a pint of ice cream anyway.”

Reese pulled her hood up over the two fat cornrows she’d tamed her hair into. Not because she was cold, because she was trying to obscure her face. I talked to her, teased, tried to get her back to playful, but she was all one-word answers as we headed back to the car.

We were just a few feet away from the parking lot when I grabbed her hand again, pulling her against me. I tugged her hood down, bringing her face out, and I wasn’t surprised that it was wet, or that her eyes were rimmed in red from crying. I brought my hands up, wiping her cheeks. “I don’t think I’m taking the internship in Cali.”

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “What? How can you pass up that kind of opportunity?”

I shrugged. “It’s a nice opportunity, but a company here offered something similar. Only difference is that the internship isn’t paid, but that’s not a deal breaker for me. I have savings, and it’s only six months. I like it here. With my family, in the city where I grew up.”

Fresh tears sprang from Reese’s eyes as she shoved me away. “So you knew that, and you made me think you were leaving?!”

“I was just telling you about it! And… I won’t lie. I wanted to see your reaction, see if you cared.”

She twisted her face. “For what?! Is it funny to you?”

“No!” I scrubbed a hand over my head. “Not funny, not at all. I’m saying… I wanted to know how you’d be upset by the thought of me leaving, because you matter in the decision, Reese. If you’d been all blasé about it, that would’ve let me know that you’re not wrapped up in me like I’m wrapped up in you. And that would have made it a helluva lot easier to leave!”

“So you are leaving!” Reese shook her head. “Fifty time a day, I’m thinking about you, wondering about you, hoping that I’m showing you that I care! As much as I care about you, do you really think I’d be okay with you leaving? Is that the impression I’ve given, that I want to be without you? Cause I don’t!” She covered her mouth with her hand, turning to walk away, but I caught her again.

“No.” I pulled her flush against me, one arm around her waist, one hand gently gripping her chin. “No,” I repeated. I’d made that decision, just then. What sense would it make to move thousands of miles away, away from a woman who made me feel like Reese did?

We were barely approaching two months, but in that time, we’d grown so close that I barely remembered what it was like to be without her. We read, cooked, worked out, slept, chilled, damn near everything together. She’d challenged and encouraged, nurtured and insulted her way right into my heart, and I was no expert on it, but… something told me she was the woman I was going to be spending my life with.

Not that I was going to be saying that shit out loud any time soon, but still. It mattered.

“I’m not leaving,” I said one more time, just to reinforce it to her. “I’m taking the internship here, not just because I like it here, not just because I want to be around my family. Because I want to be around you, princess.”

Her hard expression immediately softened, and she nodded, sniffling as once again, her eyes welled with tears. “Thank you.”

I pressed my lips to hers for a kiss, and she eagerly kissed me back. Full tongue and everything, right in the middle of campus. We laughed our way back to the car, hand in hand, and as we approached the passenger side, Reese squeezed my fingers.

“Please don’t ever scare me like that again,” she murmured, looking up into my eyes.

I gave her a smile, then kissed her sweaty forehead. “I won’t. I promise.”