Page 99 of Inevitable

“Wow. What brought on this change?”

“He…” My cheeks pinched, just remembering those words from his lips. “Loves me.”

“Wow,” she said again, and I nearly laughed. “Never saw this one coming. And you’re sure he’s going to go through with it—telling your dad, I mean?”

“Yes,” I said with more conviction than I felt. I knew I wouldn’t be able to relax until after we’d delivered the news.

“I sense some hesitation.”

“We agreed to tell him tomorrow. Or, I guess, today,” I said, remembering what time it was. “At breakfast.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Yes,” I whispered.

“Like really, really sure? One-million-percent sure? Because once you tell your dad, you can’t go back.”

“I know.” I swallowed. “Iknow.”

“That’s…a lot. How do you feel about everything?”

“Excited. Anxious. Like I might throw up,” I admitted, standing from the counter, Jonathan’s shirt skimming my thighs.

“I sure as hell hope he follows through. Because if he doesn’t, I will cut off his balls myself.”

I laughed nervously. I wouldn’t put it past Piper. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Okay, but if it is, you know where I am.” She used her fingers to mime cutting with a pair of scissors.

“Thanks, Piper.”

“Call me if you need me.”

“I will,” I said and added “Thanks,” before disconnecting the call.

I waited a few minutes before finally tiptoeing back to bed. Jonathan was snoring softly. I climbed beneath the covers, and I tossed and turned, my thoughts even more restless than my body. I’d waited for this for so long, pushed so hard, and now it was finally here. We were going to tell my dad and be a real couple. It was everything I’d wanted, but were we doing the right thing?

I must have drifted off at some point, but when my alarm chimed, I didn’t feel rested. Far from it—I’d barely slept, and I didn’t think Jonathan had fared much better. But we got up and pretended as if everything was fine. We showered and got ready, neither of us speaking much.

I stood before the bathroom mirror, and I turned to face him, smoothing down his collar. “You ready for this?”

He nodded. “Are you?”

I pressed my lips to his, hoping it would calm me. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried.”

“About how your dad will react?”

“That and…us.”

He pulled back, lifting my chin so I was forced to meet his gaze. “What about us?”

“I don’t know. Never mind.” I glanced away, thinking it was silly. Despite my resolve to speak my mind, despite all my progress, I still struggled at times. “We should go.”

“Fuck no.” He caged me against the sink. “Answer me, Sumner.”

I drew in a shuddering breath, knowing this needed to be said. I needed to say it, especially if I wanted to have a real relationship with Jonathan, a lasting relationship. “I guess I never really stopped to think about what life would be like if we were actually together. We’ve been lying and hiding for so long. Hurting each other for so long… What if that’s all we know?”

“Baby.” He kissed me. “Think about all the times we were together—the two of us. Were you happy?”