“Shh!”
As calmly as I can, I march to the door and pull it open, a smile plastered on my face.
I’m disappointed by what I find on the other side.
“Son of a bitch.”
“Hi ma’am. Is this the”—he checks the receipt—“Devlin residence?”
“Yes, but we didn’t order anything.”
“It’s already been paid for.”
“Okay…”
“And I’ve already been paid to deliver it, so…”
I glance to Zoe.
She holds her hands out. “Wasn’t me.”
“Does it say who it’s from?”
The delivery driver looks nervous for a moment before finally shaking his head.
“So what you’re saying is yes, but you were paid handsomely to keep that info private?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that.”
“What about nonverbally?”
“I was given specific instructions not to relay information in any way. The…donor said you’d try to ‘woo’ the information out of me and to stay strong.” He uses air quotes and everything. I adore this kid.
“Fine. You win. Hand over the pizza.”
Once he leaves, I take it inside and place it on the coffee table. Taking a seat on the couch, I sit there watching it like it’s a ticking time bomb.
“It’s not going to bite you,” Zoe eventually says.
“I know, but what is it?”
“Pizza.”
“Yes, but what does it mean? It is from Zach…right?”
She shrugs. “I’m assuming so.”
“So it’s safe to eat?”
“We just had dinner!”
I scowl at her. “It’s pizza. You don’t turn down pizza—especially free pizza!”
“Fine. Then eat it. I’m headed to bed.”
She goes to her bedroom, and I don’t move until I hear the door click shut.
Is this a peace offering? A goodbye gift? What the hell does it mean?
Finally, after what feels like hours, I open it…and burst into laughter.
Artfully arranged, the pepperonis spell out GAME ON.
And I know exactly what Zach is saying to me.
I stare up at the discreet building, watching and waiting.
Like the first time I came here, there’s nothing special about it. It’s plain and blends in with every other building on the street.
In fact, it’s like it doesn’t exist, like the dark red door leads to nowhere.
But I know it doesn’t.
I know it leads to someplace magical where you can forget all your troubles and just…be.
In five, four, three, two, one…
The sign illuminates.
Level Up is officially open to the night crew, and tonight, I’m part of it.
I push open my car door and approach the building. My palms are sweating and with the way I’m perspiring, I’m finding it difficult to believe it’s December.
Hand on the door, I pause.
This is it, the moment I’ve been waiting days for.
He’s going to be behind that door, and he’ll either forgive me or forget me.
I’m hoping for the former, and refuse to accept anything else.
Taking a deep breath, I push it open and step into the noise.
“Welcome to Level Up!” the now familiar barista calls from behind the counter. “Your usual?”
I nod, and he busies himself making my drink.
My eyes fall to the Mr. and Mrs. Pac-Man table we occupied the first time we came here.
There he sits, eyes on me.
I can’t breathe. My throat goes dry, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth.
In the grand scheme of things, it hasn’t been that long since I last laid eyes on him, but I swear, my body awakens for the first time in too long as his green eyes rake over me.
When he finally meets my gaze, his signature dimples appear, and my knees threaten to cave on me.
“Order up for Delia!”
Pulling myself from his stare, I grab my drink and slide the barista his money.
“Keep the change.” I turn around and am surprised to find the table empty.
I scan the room, and he’s not here. Did I dream him?
Defeat cascades over me. My shoulders slump inward and I can feel the tears coming on.
Home. I need to go home.
As I’m about to turn, I feel it.
It’s him.
“I’ll play you for a kiss.”
A tingle runs straight down my spine and the shiver it leaves behind is visible.
“I don’t think this is a good place for that.”
“No? And why is that, Delia?”
“Because I’m certain once I start kissing you, I won’t be able to stop.”
He grabs my elbow and spins me around. We’re standing so close that I have to arch my head back to meet his eyes.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” I say breathlessly.
“I see you received my message.”
“And I see you received mine.”
“I’d like my goat back, Delia.”
“I’d like to say I’m sorry.”
He releases me and takes a step back. “Let’s play for answers, shall we?”
I don’t verbally answer him. Instead I make my way to the skee-ball wall and set us up for two games. We each grab a ball and make our first play.
“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you more,” I tell him.
“Why did you jump to the conclusion that it was me who sent the photo?”
“On the screen, the sender was ‘Z’.”
“I can see why that would send you into a tailspin, but you should have known better, Delia. I’d never do that to you. I’d never do that to anyone.”
“I know.”
We throw another ball. He scores a hundred points. Ass.
“Do you…” I don’t know how to phrase this, but I need to get it out there. “Do you know who sent the photo?”
“It’s being taken care of.”
I drop my ball and give him my full attention. “What does that mean, Zach?”
“It means my father had to pull me off my brother because I wasn’t capable of pulling my own hands from his throat. It means he’s done with baseball for the season. It means he’s in an enormous amount of fucking trouble, Delia.”
I can’t help it—I start crying.
He gathers me into his arms and the weight I’ve been carrying around slips away. I missed this. I missed being close to him, touching him.
I feel horrible for what he’s experienced with his brother because of this, and I hate to think about how his relationship with him will change.
“Who told you?” I ask through the tears.
“Caleb. I like that guy. Sucks for him that I’m never letting you go.”
I laugh. “I’d choose you any day.”
“Because of my ass?”
“Because of your ass.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, placing a kiss on top of my head.
“You’re sorry?” I pull away and peek up at him. “For what?”
“For not deleting the picture ASAP. I should have. You told me to delete it and I shouldn’t have waited a second longer to do so. This is all my fault.”
“No,” I say with determination. “No fucking way. This is your brother’s fault. He’s the one who immaturely sent out that picture of me. This is my fault for blaming you, but none of this is on you.”
He hangs his head. “I can’t accept that.”
“Well too damn bad. You’re going to have to.”
“You don’t get to boss me around, Delia.”
I raise a brow in a challenge. “Watch me.”
He laughs, and I can’t believe how wonderful the sound is to my ears.
Resting his forehead against mine, he says, “I missed you, you know.”
“I missed you like you wouldn’t believe.”
“Yeah?”
“You have to promise me that if anything—and I mean anything—happens where you’re worried I’ve betrayed you, where you’re worried I’m not being the person you think I am, you need to confront me. Don’t throw out accusations and fly off the handle. Talk to me. We’ll work through it. Besides, chances are you’re just being so crazy again.”
Without having to ask, I know he’s referring to Zoe’s tirade distraction method during our goat retrieval mission.
“That damn Zoe.”
He chuckles and steps toward me. “I’m still going to want my goat back, by the way.”
“We’ll see, Zachary.”
“But do you promise, Delia? Do you promise to trust me and talk to me? Don’t shut me out and push me away because you think you’re right about something.”
“One, I am always right, that’s just a fact.” He shakes his head. “Two…yes, I promise. I know I’ve already said it, but I am so, so sorry I didn’t come to you about it…but you try seeing your boobs plastered across a stranger’s cell phone and see how you feel.”
“I have great boobs, so I wouldn’t be too offended by it.”
I roll my eyes. “Ass.”
“That’s great too.”
“Stop it.”
He reaches out and touches my bare skin for the first time in over a week, his fingers brushing over my cheek. My breath catches in my throat and I’m frozen to the spot.
His eyes have turned serious, and I’m nervous to hear what he’ll say next.
“I know you said I don’t need to say it, but I do. I’m sorry this happened to you, Delia. I’m sorry you were so violated, and I’m really fucking sorry it was by my brother. I’m not sure I can ever forgive him for this. My parents are threatening to rip him out of school entirely. It’s been a wreck of a few days.”
“I think that made me feel worse.”
“No, don’t let it. It’s his fault this is happening to him, not yours.”
“Thank you, Zach, and please, thank your Titanic parents for me too.”
He smirks. “Is that their name from now on?”
“Would I call them anything else?”
“I couldn’t imagine you coming up with anything even semi-normal.”
“Should I be insulted by that?”
He pulls me closer to him and wraps an arm around my waist. “Not even a little bit. Did I mention I missed you?”
“I wouldn’t be opposed to hearing it again.”
I’m drawn even closer, his lips hovering only centimeters away from mine.
“I missed you, Delia.”
I sigh. “Say it again.”
“I missed—”
I crush my lips to his and show him exactly how much I missed him. Our kiss is unhurried, yet passionate. There’s no tongue, no pressing for more. It’s simple and heated all at once.
Finally, I feel whole again.
“I could love you one day, Zach,” I whisper against his mouth.
“I think it’s too late for me, Delia.”
Epilogue
“I can’t believe you convinced me to spend Christmas with your family after our last holiday debacle.”
“Hey, the holiday part of the trip was fine. It was our asshole son who ruined it afterward,” Jack says, setting two mugs of hot cocoa in front of us. “Sorry about that again.”
“Stop apologizing, please.”
“Sorry.”
“Ah, a true smartass—like father, like son,” Rose says from her perch on the couch.
Zach and I have been nearly inseparable since our reunion in early December. While it’s technically the new year now, we decided to have a real Christmas with his family when Shep wasn’t around.
“Thank you again for making a special Christmas just for us, Mom. We appreciate it.”
“Don’t thank me, just enjoy it. After everything you two have gone through, you deserve it. Besides, I can’t wait to see Delia’s reaction to your gift, Zach.”
She winks at him while I glare.
To say he’s been secretive about my gift would be an understatement. I’ve received exactly zero hints. Zoe knows. Robbie knows. His mother knows. Everyone but me knows.
Which I guess is the way surprise works, huh?
“How are the pajamas, Rose? Comfy?”
“Oh dear, don’t even get me started.”
“Zach? Jack? How do they feel for you?”
They both grunt and I chuckle.
For Christmas, I had Zoe order them all matching Ryan Gosling pajama sets, and now we’re all wearing them for our “Christmas” morning.
“Who’s ready to open presents?” Rose asks.
The guys dive for the wrapped gifts under the tree like they’ve never experienced this before.
Us ladies sit back and shake our heads.
Jack hands me a gift. “Delia, this is for you from me and Rose.”
“What? You guys did not have to buy me anything.” I take the box from him. “Thank you.”
I sit there gaping at the gift in my lap, so happy to have this secondary family. They’ve taken such great care of me after the whole debacle with Shep and have supported me and any actions I wanted to take against him.
When I glance back up, everyone is watching me.
“Well, open it, silly!” Rose says.
“Oh!”
I peel back the paper and lift the lid to the box.
Pulling out the material, my eyes scrunch in confusion: it’s one of those creepy neon green bodysuits you see people wearing at sporting events.
“Uh, thank you…I think.”
“It’s to wear when you do your next photo shoot,” Rose explains.
My eyes move between them and the garment, confused.
“Photo shoot? What photo—”
It clicks.
And I start laughing hard.
The naked photo I sent Zach.
Smiling, Rose lifts her brows and says, “You know, just in case.”
“Thank you both.”
“That’s not all,” Jack says. “Look at the bottom.”
I pull out an envelope and open it. The card is simple and sweet. On the outside is a picture of a snowman family and the inside, in what I assume is Rose’s handwriting, says, We care for you. We’re here for you, and so is she.
Tucked inside the card are two plane tickets to Kansas…where my mom lives.
My eyes are shining with tears when they find theirs.
“Are you two serious?”
“Very. We know this past month or so has been tough on you, and nothing makes that better than family. So, we bought you and Zach tickets to visit your mom over your spring break.”
I wipe at the single tear that manages to streak down my cheek. “I don’t even know what to say. Thank you guys so much. This means more to me than you could ever know.”
Rose comes over and wraps her arms around me. “You’re welcome, sweetie.”
Jack simply nods, but I can see his eyes are red from holding in tears of his own. He busies himself grabbing another present from under the tree and handing it to Zach.
“This one is for you.”
“Me? But we already did our Christmas.”
“It’s from me,” I say.
“Oh.” His face lights up and he shakes the box around before finally peeling back the wrapping paper.
He opens it and I can see the dimples coming out.
“You didn’t.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Sometimes a girl wants to see her man in more than just Slytherin.”
Zach shakes his head at the two-year membership to an underwear subscription box.
Jack and Rose exchange a look and shrug, not understanding our joke.
“There’s more,” I tell him. “Pull out the middle of the box.”
He does, and his grin grows bigger. Sitting inside is a coffee mug that has the Embody Positivity l
ogo on it. Underneath reads, Zach Hastings, nerd, boss, great ass.
It’s his first official Embody Positivity gear. The nationwide app launches next month, and he’s already looking at a building to use for headquarters.
“Thank you.”
Zach scoots my way and gives me a quick kiss.
He grabs the last box sitting under the tree. It’s small, and I honestly have no idea what’s inside.
Handing it to me, he sits back, watching me like a hawk. They all are.
My hands have a slight shake to them as I pull away the paper and open the box. Sitting inside is another smaller box, one that strongly resembles something an important piece of jewelry comes in.
I find Zach’s eyes and he’s giddy. I’m scared.
When I finally gather the courage, I retrieve the velvet box and open it.
Sitting inside is a necklace in the shape of a goat that reads, World’s Okayest Goat Mom.
Laughter consumes me. “You didn’t,” I manage to say.
“Oh I did.”
My phone vibrates loudly against the coffee table and I feel slightly embarrassed, afraid it’ll ruin the moment.
I ignore it. It vibrates again.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Zach asks.
There’s something in his voice telling me to check my phone right this second.
I click the screen to unlock it.
Two unread messages.
Zach: DOWNLOAD ATTACHMENT
Zach: Meet Milk Chocolate and Graham Cracker. We pick them up on our way home tomorrow. Don’t worry, we’re building them a goat motel so they have a place to stay.
Peeking up, I catch Zach looking at me, clearly pretty proud of himself.
I type out a response.
Me: I love them almost as much as I love you.
Zach: I know. WINK.
Acknowledgments
To my Marine. You’re the real reason I wrote this book. Thank you for your one-liners and snappy comebacks—quite a few made an appearance in the book. I can’t even begin to find the proper words to explain my love for you, which is total bullshit because that’s what I do for a living. Thank you, for everything.
Mom, you always have my back. Thanks for that.
C, Stann, and Cathlin, thank you ladies for your kickass notes!
And a special shout-out to Sara Ney for letting me bother her so damn much.
Texting Box Set: The Complete Series Page 21
