Page 37 of Finding Her

poppy

“Are you ready for this?” I asked, bouncing on my toes.

I wasn’t sure if I was trying to stay warm or burning off excess energy.

Probably both. My hands were cold, but my pulse felt like it was running a marathon.

This wasn’t just gym class—it was the gym class midterm.

The big test. And unlike regular tests, there were no Scantron sheets or equations to solve.

Just me, my very un-athletic self, and whatever obstacle course Mrs. Dixon had dreamed up.

Bear stood next to me, looking like the human embodiment of calm. He shoved his hands into his pockets, his shoulders relaxed, his face unreadable. How was he not vibrating with nerves? Did nothing faze him?

“Of course I am,” he said, reaching over to take my hand. His fingers were warm, steady—like he could loan me some of his confidence if I needed it.

When he gave my hand a quick squeeze, the knot in my stomach loosened a little.

“We’re gonna do great,” he added, his voice calm and steady, like it wasn’t even up for debate.

I tried to channel that calmness, but it wasn’t working. Today was huge for him. If he nailed this, along with the camping trip he’d somehow survived—lake incident and all—he’d pass gym. No more stress, no more scrambling to save his grade.

But for me? My stomach twisted just thinking about it. “I’m kind of nervous,” I admitted, rubbing one hand against the other before awkwardly shoving them both into my hoodie pocket.

Bear turned his head slightly, his lips twitching like he was fighting back a smile.

“Are you nervous? I’m nervous. Are you nervous?” The words tumbled out in rapid succession.

I said it again. And then again, like repeating it would make the nerves disappear. Spoiler: it didn’t.

Bear laughed softly and leaned down, brushing his lips against mine.

I tried to keep talking, even as he kissed me. “I just don’t know if?—”

He cut me off with another kiss, slower this time, until the words dissolved on my tongue. My heart was still racing, but now it had nothing to do with gym class. For a few seconds, the world narrowed to just him.

When he pulled back, his grin was so confident, so Bear, I almost believed him when he said, “We’re gonna do great. Trust me. There’s no way you can fail a gym midterm.”

I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes. “I don’t know,” I said, my tone teasing. “Considering you’ve already failed gym once, it seems like your ability to screw this up is unmatched.”

His laughter rang out, warm and low, as he shook his head. “I failed because I didn’t show up, not because I couldn’t pass.”

“So you claim.”

I jabbed a finger against his chest, intending to make some snarky comment—but my hand hit solid muscle, and I froze.

“Wow,” I said, my finger still pressed against him.

He raised a brow, clearly amused.

“You’re pure muscle, aren’t you?” I poked him again, and this time, I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped.

Before he could reply, Mrs. Dixon blew her whistle. The sharp sound cut through the gym, snapping me out of whatever weird trance I’d fallen into.

“All right, everyone!” she called, her voice echoing off the walls. “Today is your midterm test. As you know, this is a required assessment. That means?—”

Her voice faded into the background as I glanced over at Bear. He stood next to me, his posture relaxed, his expression completely at ease. Like he wasn’t even listening to the instructions because he didn’t need to.

Meanwhile, my brain was running a million miles a minute, already imagining the hundred ways I could trip, fall, or somehow ruin this.

But then he turned, caught me staring, and smiled.

Something about the way he looked at me—like I had no reason to doubt myself—made me think, Maybe. Just maybe.

Somehow, we did it.

“We passed gym!” I yelled, the words echoing through the gym as I threw myself into Bear’s arms.

He laughed, catching me like it was the easiest thing in the world. His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me steady even though I was practically vibrating with excitement.

“We don’t know that for sure,” he said, his tone light, teasing. “There’s still time for something to go wrong.”

I narrowed my eyes and flicked his forehead. “Don’t even say that.”

He grinned, clearly enjoying himself. “I’m just saying, Mrs. Dixon could decide to throw in a bonus round or something.”

“Stop,” I said, but I was laughing now, too.

Before he could say anything else, I leaned up and kissed him.

His hands tightened on my waist, pulling me closer, and I could feel him smiling against my lips. It wasn’t a long kiss—Mrs. Dixon was still nearby, clipboard in hand—but it was enough to make my heart stutter.

For a moment, nothing else mattered. Not the test, not the nerves, not even the lingering worry that I’d somehow messed up.

It was just us, standing there in the middle of the gym, his arms around me and his laugh still ringing in my ears.

“Okay,” he said when I pulled back, his voice low and amused. “Now that’s a reward I can get behind.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

And for the first time all day, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I’d passed more than just the test.