Tutoring the Player (Campus Wallflowers #1)(79)

“I don’t know if he was telling the truth or not when he said that he loved you, but if he doesn’t, then he’s really committed to the lie.” A small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth.

“But what about jocks being evil and all that?”

She laughs outright. “You know I don’t really believe that. It’s just easier to hate a collective group than letting one person have so much power over your emotions.”

I get that.

Violet squeezes my arm. “No matter what, you always have me.”

“And us,” Dahlia says. I look back to see her and Jane in the doorway.

“You guys all knew about this?”

Vi shrugs. “I called him.”

My eyes widen.

“If you really don’t want to see him, I’ll go tell him to leave, but if you’re only staying away because of the things I said…” She looks down. “It wasn’t fair of me to judge him because of something someone else did.”

“He screwed up all on his own,” I say.

“I know, and I’ve got one eye on him.” Violet grins. “But you were happy. And that’s all I want.”

“All that we want for you,” Dahlia says.

“I know a guy who knows a guy who has a cousin that works as a hitman,” Jane says it loud enough that I’m sure Jordan can hear. “Just in case.”

“I love you guys.”

The three of them crowd around and hug me.

I let out a breath. “Now what?”

“Go hear him out,” Dahlia encourages.

Jane squeezes my arm. “Good luck.”





35





JORDAN





Her steps are light on the ladder. So quiet I almost miss the sound (it could also be that my heart is pounding so hard it’s drowning out all other noise).

I go to the ledge and offer my hand. She slips her fingers into my palm, and my pulse jumps.

“Hey,” I say in a rough scrape of my voice.

“Hi.” Her blue eyes bore into mine, pupils wide. Her gaze flickers to the lights strung up from the ceiling before coming back to me.

“You look beautiful.” I don’t drop her hand. I glide my thumb along her finger, and she stares at our joined hands. “Sorry for showing up like this. It looks like some party in there.”

She says nothing. I never felt like I needed to fill the silence between us before, but right now, I need something before I lose my mind.

My voice cracks as I continue. “I had to come see you in person and apologize again, and tell you something I should have said weeks ago. I want to be the guy that shows up for you. Tonight. Tomorrow. Every day. I want to be your person that’s there for the good and bad, for all the fully clothed things. I’ve played it in my mind a million times. What if this or that, but I refuse to believe that there’s any scenario that wouldn’t have led me here. I love you, Daisy. In a sexy red dress, in white cotton panties, and everything in between. And I’m sorry that I wasn’t honest with you, but I wouldn’t wish it away either. Spending those nights studying with you changed my life.” I take a breath. “That’s it. That’s my big speech.”

I force myself to stop rambling and give her a chance to speak. It felt longer in my head, but now I worry it isn’t enough. That I’m not enough.

Her bottom lip trembles. I resist the urge to lift the pad of my thumb to it. I’m perfectly still and waiting.

She’s quiet for so long, I think, well, there’s my answer. My heart drops. I knew there was a chance she didn’t feel the same or couldn’t forgive me, but I climbed up this tree, refusing to accept it. Swallowing thickly, I loosen my grip on her fingers and let my hand fall.

I didn’t plan for this. Climbing down this ladder with a boner was more comfortable than standing here while she figures out how to tell me to fuck off.

I start to move my hands to my pockets at the same time she launches herself at me. Arms around my neck, Daisy crushes her body against mine, throwing me off balance and into the wall where she continues to press into me.

“Thank you for coming,” she breathes the words against my jaw.

A whoosh of air leaves my lungs. “I thought you were about to kick me out of your favorite spot.”

“It isn’t my favorite spot anymore without you.”

“I’ve missed you so much. I was trying to give you space, but—”

She shakes her head. “I like my space better with you in it.”

“Oh, thank fuck.”

A small lift of one corner of her mouth loosens the giant lump in my throat. She glances up to the ceiling. “The lights are beautiful.”

“So are you.”

A bigger smile spreads across her lips and she twirls her hips to make the red fabric swish around her. “I hoped wearing this dress would bring me luck again.”

“Luck?” My brows pull together in confusion. “I thought you were mortified you sent those pictures.”

“I was,” she admits. “But it changed things between us. You saw me differently. Without it and without everything else, then maybe nothing would have happened between us. And as mad as I was, I wouldn’t wish it away either. I love you too.”