The Promise (Neighbor from Hell, #10)(77)

“I was with your grandmother when she found out about the accident,” Reed said as he pushed away from the door and walked into the room. “Did you know that?”

“No,” she said softly as she watched as he walked around her classroom, taking in all the changes that she’d made.

“She was helping me with my homework when the call came,” he said as he shifted his attention to the replica map of the Thirteen Colonies on the back wall. “I remember watching all the blood drain out of her face when they told her about your mother, but she didn’t cry. Not until she found out that you’d been in the accident too and that you might not make it.”

He paused by the poster of the Mayflower Compact to send her a curious glance. “You remember the accident, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she said hollowly as her grip tightened on the edge of the desk and she thought that she might be sick.

Nodding, he returned his attention to the posters that she’d lined the room with. “She wouldn’t stop crying. I tried everything to make it better. I broke out her secret stash of chocolate from above the fridge. I promised her that everything would be okay. I hugged her and kissed her, but nothing worked. She wouldn’t stop crying and, at that moment, I hated you,” Reed said, shaking his head with a sigh as he ran his fingers over the books that she had stacked on the windowsill.

“I didn’t even know you, but I hated you for hurting her like that. It didn’t matter to me that you were only a baby and that you’d lost your mother, I hated you and I swore that I would never let you make her cry again,” he said as he shifted his attention to the large globe that she’d helped herself to out of storage.

“So, you watched over me,” she said weakly.

“So, I watched over you,” he agreed with a nod as he continued making his way to the back of the room. “Do you know what I promised your grandmother?”

“No,” she said, watching him move as a feeling of foreboding trickled down her spine.

“I promised to look after you,” he said, trailing his fingers over the back of one chair, “and make sure that you were safe,” and then another, “and happy.”

“I am happy,” she said, watching as he absently nodded and moved his attention to the bookshelves that Matt had installed at the back of the room for her.

“I thought I could make you happy, but then I realized that I was fooling myself because I’ll never be able to give you what you deserve. I’m never going to be able to offer you anything more than a low-paying thankless job that you’re over-qualified for in a town that you couldn’t wait to escape,” he said as he made his way back towards the front of the class.

“You don’t belong here, Joey.”

“Why are you telling me this?” she asked as she watched him sit down at one the desks in front of her with a sigh.

“Because I’m in love with you, Joey,” he said, while she sat there, trying to remember how to breathe.

“I don’t want to play this game anymore. I don’t want to pretend that I’m not thinking about you all day or have to remind myself that I’m not allowed to touch you when we’re not alone. I don’t want to pretend that I’m not in love with you anymore and I don’t want you to go,” he said as he held her gaze.

Swallowing hard, she reached over and hit Send as she got to her feet and walked around her desk. “You love me?” she asked, never taking her eyes off him as she pulled herself up onto her desk and sat down.

“More than anything,” he said as he stood up. “Which is why I’m going to break my promise and offer you a low-paying, thankless job in a town that you couldn’t wait to leave so that I don’t have to live without you.”

“Even though I’m a pain in the ass?” she couldn’t help but wonder as she watched him walk towards her.

“Especially since you’re a huge pain in the ass,” he said, smiling as he stepped between her legs and leaned down so that he could kiss her forehead.

“Wait, I didn’t say huge,” she said, frowning even as she wrapped her arms around him.

“It needed to be said,” he said softly as he kissed the tip of her nose.

“Do you know what else needs to be said?” she asked as she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer so that she could kiss him.

“That you love me?” he asked, brushing his lips against hers as cupped her face in his hands.

“Maybe,” she said teasingly.

“Do you love me?” he asked, pulling back so that he could look into her eyes as he waited for the words that she’d never thought she’d say, but as she looked into the emerald eyes that she loved so much she found herself saying, “I love you, Reed.”

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“Let’s go home,” he said only to groan when he felt her small fingers work his tie loose.

“Okay,” she said as she pulled his tie free and dropped it to the floor.

“We can’t do this here,” he said, unable to stop kissing her as she slowly worked his shirt buttons free.

“We really shouldn’t,” she agreed as she pulled his shirt free and ran her hands over his chest and down his stomach where she grabbed hold of his belt.

“Then what are we doing?” Reed asked, cursing softly as she pulled his zipper down.