It Started with a Crush by Piper James

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chase

Inever did give Sage that spanking I promised her.

After we made love, we spent the next hour tangled in each other’s arms, talking through everything that had happened since the Turners confronted us at the restaurant. We talked about Sage’s fear and my disappointment, our falsely cavalier attitudes when we broke up, and all the pain we’d gone through since then.

She told me how hurt she’d been when she found out from Belle that I wasn’t moving back to California. She’d taken my silence to mean I didn’t want her. I told her how devastated I was when she called our relationship a meaningless fling, and apologized for what I said in return.

I peppered her with kisses throughout the whole conversation, and she held my hand tightly like she never wanted to let go. It was the closest I’d ever felt to a woman, and knowing she loved me, too, made it a bit surreal.

Once we were all talked out, we put our clothes back on, and Sage gave me a tour of the house.

“My plan was to fix it up and move out here, but all I’ve been able to do is keep up on the taxes and the homeowner’s insurance. Unfortunately, all the damage is wear and tear, and the insurance won’t cover any of the repairs,” she said.

The interior was actually in pretty good shape. Cosmetically, it needed an overhaul—the paint was peeling, the old linoleum was buckling in the kitchen, and the pea-green shag carpeting was matted and moldy. But the doorframes were sturdy and straight, the exposed crossbeams in the living room looked solid and unbending, and I couldn’t find any soft spots that would indicate rotting in the floor.

“What about the hole in the roof?” I asked when we entered the master bedroom to find no apparent water damage in the ceiling where the hole would be.

“Kids,” she sighed. “They were the ones that spray painted the door, but they didn’t break in, thank God. One of them dared another to climb onto the roof, and it crumbled under his weight. I came out to check on the place and saw the rest of them take off into the woods. I actually knew the kid whose leg was stuck in my roof—I’d taught Jimmy when he was in second grade—and I made him help me cover the hole with that tarp in exchange for not telling his dad what he was up to.”

“You didn’t turn him in?” I asked, surprised. “He was trespassing and caused extensive property damage.”

She started shaking her head before I even finished speaking. “Jimmy’s dad is an alcoholic. I don’t think he hits him, but I’ve witnessed the verbal and emotional abuse he heaps on him when he’s drinking. Last year at the high school spring carnival, he got drunk and yelled at Jimmy in front of half the town, calling him a useless waste of space who never should’ve been born because he didn’t win one of those stupid carnival games. I knew it would be bad if he found out what Jimmy was up to with his friends, so I made a deal with him—help me cover the hole and agree to stay out of trouble, and we could pretend like it never happened.”

“You’re amazing,” I said, my voice filled with as much awe as I felt.

Sage was a kind, loving person, and I knew I was extremely lucky that I could call her mine. She blushed and shrugged at my praise. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her in for a long, slow kiss. She was amazing, and I vowed to make sure she never forgot just how awesome she truly was.

After my tour of the place, I helped her clean up the bed she’d made for us and pack everything into her car. She locked up the house, kissed me on the mouth, and pressed her palms to my cheeks.

“I think we should tell Daniel his plan worked,” she said, giving me a soft smile.

“Are you sure?” I asked, feeling my heart swell with joy.

Telling Daniel would solidify our relationship, bringing it out of the shadows and into the light. It meant she was truly committed, because I knew she’d never let me tell him if she thought there was a chance things wouldn’t work out between us. She believed in us as much as I did.

“I’m sure,” she said, kissing me again. “Can we stop by Bull’s Eye first, though? I need to buy that kid some thank you presents.”

“That was pretty genius, giving you that note,” I said, grinning as I helped her into the car.

“He’s got game,” she agreed as she buckled her seatbelt.

“Who do you think he gets it from?” I asked, leaning inside the car to kiss her again.

When I pulled back, she was smirking. I narrowed my gaze.

“If you say his Uncle Noah, I swear to God you’re getting that spanking I talked about earlier.”

“Promises, promises.”

I growled playfully, and she shoved me back before yanking the door closed. Cranking the engine, she rolled down the window and gave me an intense stare.

“Meet me at Bull’s Eye? I want to hold my boyfriend’s hand while I buy toys for his son.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” I said, rubbing the heel of my hand against my chest in an attempt to soothe my pounding heart.

She blew me a kiss and waved as she pulled away, slowly navigating the overgrown driveway. I ran to my truck, hopping in with the biggest, shit-eating grin on my face. Hearing her call me her “boyfriend” was amazing.

And I couldn’t wait to hear her call me “husband.”

Because I was going to marry her. Of that, I had no doubt.