“Excuse me?” I snapped, hoping that if ignoring them didn’t work, intimidation would. “Can I help you?”
The girls giggled.
“Yeah, I was wondering if you offered lessons in stalking?” Claire, the blonde, teased. “I really like the center of the basketball team, and I heard you were kind of like a professional stalker so maybe you could help me.”
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to my books. “I don’t have time for this,” I mumbled.
“Aw, you’re no fun,” the redhead whined. “Hey, a seat with the weird kids over there just opened up. Maybe you should sit there.”
I turned around to see that a pink-haired girl was leaving.
“You can’t be serious,” I grumbled.
“Oh, she’s serious,” Claire said. “We only let you sit here so we could tell you how gross we think it is that you stalked Adam McMasters. Like, people get expelled for that kind of thing.”
The redhead’s eyes widened. “We should start a petition!” she squealed. “Maybe then she’ll get in trouble.”
Claire seemed to love the idea. I groaned and began to collect my things.
“Okay, okay. I get it.” That you’re as stupid as doors, I added inside my head. “I’ll probably be better off with the Goth kids anyways.”
“No, you don’t get it. We don’t think you should even be allowed at this school,” the redhead spat.
“Yeah, it’s totally a double standard. If the roles were reversed and he was stalking you—”
“For God’s sake, I didn’t stalk Adam!” I asserted, apparently, way too loud. Several people shot me a dirty look and others started laughing.
“Yeah, that’s the way to prove it.”
I wanted to give them the middle finger and a piece of my mind, but I honestly didn’t have the guts to do it. Instead, I hurried to the Goth table in a humph. As soon as I got there, there was a backpack in the empty seat. A lanky boy with a Mohawk shook his head.
“Taken.”
“No, it’s not,” I argued. “I just watched the girl leave.”
He gave me a stern look. “Taken.”
With the entire student body against me, I had no choice but to study in between the bookshelves. I found a place in the corner and sunk to the floor, sprawling my books out in front of me and swallowing back my tears.
I had never been accused of such a bizarre act, especially not towards someone I actually cared about. Nevertheless, I had to pass my midterms and couldn’t allow this stupid thing to mess me up. I took a deep breath and focused on what was important. I had to get my priorities in order.
Just as I started to make my flashcards, a tiny paper airplane flew in front of my face. I furrowed my brow and unfolded it.
I’m so sorry.
I messed up.
But . . .
I LOVE YOU.
Confused, I looked up and gasped.
Adam stood a few feet away from me with a fistful of flowers from the garden by Morton Hall. Everyone was staring as he offered the chrysanthemums up to the girl between the bookshelves—the girl who was his supposed stalker.
I got to my feet and forcefully took the flowers.
“You owe me more than an apology and a handful of flowers,” I said. “You made people think I’m stalking you.”
He closed his eyes. “I didn’t mean for it to ever go that far,” he explained. “One of my brothers said it and it spread like wildfire. Jake and I both told them to stop, but they were drunk, and it got out of hand.”
“It wasn’t you?” I murmured.
* * *
He shook his head.
“Of course not. I’d never!” Without breaking eye contact with me, he took a step in my direction and took my hand in his. “And when I said those things to my dad, I didn’t mean them. What we had—what I hope we can still have—it means a lot to me. More than I think you understand.”
The honesty in his face and voice was overwhelming. I wanted to cry and hug him and yell at him and kiss him, but I just stood there as he continued to speak.
“If I could take it all back, I would. But I can’t. I can only say I’m sorry and hope you’ll forgive me.”
I thought about it. Everyone in the library was staring in awe. Ariana was sinking in her seat as her friends pointed at Adam and me.
“Well, you’re going to have to do a lot of making up to me,” I said.
“I’ll do anything you want,” he whispered. “Phoebe, I love you.”
I blushed and gave him a shy smile. With a fluttering heart, I said, “I love you too, Adam.”
He grinned and pressed his lips against mine in a passionate kiss. Gasps were heard all around the library, and I was sure I was going to hear about it later. None of that mattered, though. At that moment, as he kissed me with every drop of emotion his body could contain, it was almost as if Adam and I were the only two in the room.
“We’re going to ace that project now that you don’t have my emotions all screwed up!” I joked as our lips parted.
He pressed his lips to mine again. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“Just don’t let it happen again,” I murmured. “I don’t want to go through that ever again.”
He nodded and leaned his forehead against mine. I took a deep breath, filling my nostrils with the delicious scent of the man I loved.
“From now on, no more secrets—not even from my dad or my frat brothers.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” He smiled at me and yelled for the whole library to hear. “I love you, Phoebe!”
People around us chuckled and the librarian shushed him, but none of that put a damper on the overwhelming happiness I felt. After the heartbreak I had just gone through and the doubts that had plagued me since we first got together, I couldn’t imagine a better gesture. Yes, it was awkward and very public, but it was also sweet and utterly perfect.
Adam kissed me once more, and when our lips parted, he whispered it again. “I love you.”
It was the fourth time he said it. Loud or low, public or private, I knew those words would never get old, and I would feel them more and more every time we said it.
* * *
THE END
Crystal Chance
Romance Author
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Virgin Playbook: Phoebe's First: College Football Sports Romance Page 6
