“Faster, Bianca!”
The sound of Cami’s voice startles me, and I glance back, shocked and relieved to see her catching up. Then two boys turn the corner behind her, and what little bit of relief I’d found disappears.
Cami pushes my arm, and I whirl back around just in time to jump over a gaping hole in the sidewalk. “They’re chasing us,” she pants. “Faster, Bianca. You’ve got to run faster.”
“I’m trying,” I cry, batting at the tears rolling down my face. “Wh-who’s chasing us?”
I look over my shoulder one more time. There are two boys. The shorter one is struggling to keep up, but the taller one is gaining ground. His fierce eyes lock on mine, daring me to try to get away. Fear prickles up my spine, but I don’t have much time to dwell on it. Cami grabs my arm, pulling me behind her as she weaves left through someone’s yard.
My lungs are on fire, my thighs screaming in pain. Every cell in my body is telling me to give up, telling me it’s too late, but all I hear is Cami.
“Come on, B. Don’t give up,” she encourages. “We just have to make it to Uncle Giovanni’s.”
“I won’t make it.”
“Yes, you will.” Her grip on my arm tightens.
For the first time since she caught up to me, Cami looks back, and in an instant, I’m shoved forward as she’s tackled to the ground. I try to stop my fall, but it’s no use, and I smack face-first in a muddy patch of grass. My feet slip as I struggle to get up, desperate to help my sister. Rubbing the mud from my eyes, I find Cami thrashing under one of the boys, bucking and kicking, trying to get free, but he’s too big. Her glossy eyes connect with mine.
“Run.”
With a startle, I jolt up in bed. Hot, sweaty, and panting, I kick the covers off. With a hand pressed to my chest, as though it might calm the fierce gallop of my heart, I blink several times. As my eyes adjust to the rays of morning light shining through the window, they find Rex.
He’s sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room. His elbows rest on his knees, his hands hang down. His dark brown eyes are nearly black as he watches me.
“I was dreaming again.”
He nods.
“Did I wake you up?” I ask, noticing he’s still in his boxers.
He shakes his head, but continues to remain silent, and fear prickles my skin.
“What’s wrong?”
His head drops down. Running his hands over his face, he sighs and looks back up.
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just watching you sleep, thinking about some of the things we talked about last night.”
Part of me wants to ask him if I said anything while dreaming, but no one has ever told me I talk in my sleep, so I decide against it.
Grabbing for the sheet I just kicked off, I pull it up to cover my naked body. “Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”
Rex’s lips lift in a tight smile, and I immediately know it’s fake. It doesn’t reach his eyes. I want to call him out on it, but then he speaks.
“Positive.”
I know he’s lying. The ghostly look in his eye tells me what his words won’t. But I decide not to push him. We rounded a corner last night, and I trust him to be honest with me.
“Then why are you sitting all the way over there?”
Rex’s eyes soften, the darkness fading into the milk chocolate color I love. With his hands on his knees, he pushes up from the chair. My mouth waters as he walks toward me, his muscular thighs flexing with each step, and I lick my lips, fully expecting him to crawl onto the bed and ravish me. In fact, I’m going to insist on it.
When he’s within arm’s reach, I hold out my hand, but he doesn’t take it. “Oh, no. I’m not crawling back into that bed with you.”
“Why not?” I pout, jutting out my bottom lip, but it has no effect on him.
“Because if I do, we’ll never get out of here, and I have a surprise planned for you today.”
“Another surprise?” I look around the room, for what I’m not sure. “What is it?”
Rex walks over and grabs a bag from the corner, which I instantly recognize as my gym bag.
My eyes narrow. “What are you doing with that?”
He grins. “What part of surprise don’t you understand?”
He holds the bag out, and I snatch it from his hand to look inside: a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and my chucks, along with clean underwear and a fresh bra.
“Where did you get all of this?”
“JJ brought it over.”
“JJ?”
He nods.
“My friend JJ?”
He nods again. “That’s the one.”
“How did you… I don’t…”
Rex laughs. “I called and asked him to pack you a bag of comfortable clothes.”
“How did you get his number?”
“I have my ways.”
I don’t believe this. “And he just agreed? That doesn’t sound like JJ.”
“It took some convincing.”
“Convincing, huh?”
“He cares about you, Shae, and I can’t fault the guy for that. You make it easy. Now he knows there’s someone else who cares for you as well—although he did make me promise not to hurt you.”
“That’s a big promise.”
Grabbing my hand, Rex tugs me to standing. “I’m a big guy,” he whispers, reaching around to smack my ass. I yelp, and he grins again. “Now get dressed.”
I watch Rex’s ass as he goes to his closet and grabs a pair of jeans. After he slips them on, I rifle through my bag and start putting on my clothes.
“Shae?”
“Yeah?”
“Do JJ and Erin know about your parents, about what you told me last night?”
With my jeans around my ankles, I look up. “They know I was adopted, and they know a little about how my adoptive parents treated me, but they don’t know everything. Why? Did you say something to JJ?”
“No, I didn’t say anything. I wouldn’t do that. Whenever you talk to me, whatever you tell me, it stays between us. Always.”
His words make me happy.
Too happy.
The scared little girl buried inside of me jumps up, frantically raising her hands in the air, yelling at me not to trust anyone, but I quickly shove her to the side.
I’m tired of listening to her.
“One of these days I’ll teach you how to ride a bike for real, but for now, this’ll have to work.”
Lips parted, I stare at the tandem bike sitting in front of us. “We’re going on a bike ride?” I ask, a little too excitedly as a group of tourists stops to take a photo with the giant fountain behind us.
Rex smiles. “I’m guessing by your reaction that you’re okay with this.”
“So okay with this.”
I walk around the bike, gliding my fingers along the frame and up over the seat, and I don’t stop until I’m standing in front of Rex. With a hand blocking the sun, I look up.
“Where are we going to go?”
“We’ll pick up the lakefront path just over there and tour around the city,” he says. “We can take as long as you want.”
“I’ve never been on a bike ride.”
Not even after I grew up and moved out of the Blacks’ house. By then it just seemed pointless.
“I know.” He taps his ear. “I was listening.”
Emotion crawls up my throat as the weight of what he’s doing—what he’s offering me—settles, and I pinch my lips together because the last thing I want to do is burst into tears.
Once I’m confident I can speak without crying, I say, “Aside from taking me skating, this is probably the greatest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.”
Cradling my cheeks in his hands, Rex leans down until our lips are nearly touching. “It makes me sad that this is the greatest thing anyone’s ever done for you. It also makes me happy that I get to be the one to do it. I love making you smile.” He runs a thumb along my lower lip. “And you can expect these lips to do a lot more of that with me, Shae Black.”
If a moment ever called for a kiss, it’s this one. Pushing up on my toes, I kiss Rex, right here at Buckingham Fountain, for the entire world to see.
The guy who delivered the bike to us clears his throat, and I kiss Rex once, twice, and a third time before turning to look at him.
“Thank you, Marlin,” Rex says. “We’re good to go from here.”
Marlin nods. “Call me when you’re done, wherever you are, and I’ll pick up the bike.”
“Thank you.” Rex holds out his hand, and Marlin shakes it and walks away.
Rex turns to me. “You ready to do this?” He grabs a helmet hanging on the handlebars. Unclasping it, he places it on my head.
Lifting my chin, I allow him to clasp the buckle. “More than ready.”
Holding the bike steady, he motions for me to climb on.
“Aren’t you going to wear a helmet?”
Rex shoots me a look. “I’ve been riding a bike since I was five years old. I’m a pro at this. Plus, I don’t wear helmets.”
“You don’t, huh? Well, what happens if we get into a wreck and your head smacks the ground?”
“Too many what-ifs, Shae. I don’t like what-ifs.”
I open my mouth to argue but he grabs the back of my head, slams his lips against mine in a fierce kiss, and leaves me speechless, which I think was his intention.
“Get on the damn bike,” he says, his smiling lips brushing against mine.
“Only because you asked with a kiss.” Flinging my leg over the seat, I straddle the bike and put both feet on the pedals. The bike tilts to the left and I squeal, dropping my feet back to the ground.
Shaking his head and laughing, Rex straddles the seat in front of me. “You can’t lift your feet until we start pedaling. Put one foot on a pedal and leave the other one down. Once we start going, you can start pedaling.”
“Okay.” I nod, and the helmet slides in front of my face. I push it up. “Promise me you won’t let us fall.”
“I won’t let us fall.”
“You didn’t promise.”
Rex looks at me over his shoulder. “Shae, I promise I will not let us fall. You’re safe with me, always.”
With those words, Rex starts pedaling, and I quickly join in. Balancing on a bike is much harder than it looks, and It takes a few tries for us to get going. At first I can tell by the occasional tightening of Rex’s back and arms that he’s having to compensate for my lack of balance, but after a few minutes, I get the hang of things.
The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and I have the greatest view in the entire world: Lake Michigan to my right, the Chicago skyline to my left, and an unexpected Romeo smack dab in front of me. A wide grin stretches across my face as the wind whips around us, and I can’t remember the last time I felt this free.
Desperate to hold on to the feeling, I keep pedaling, taking in the sights and sounds of the city I grew up in, refusing to search for hidden memories, tucking my father’s letter away in the back of my mind—for now.
We wind north along the coast of Lake Michigan and then venture into the neighborhoods.
“Let’s stop up here,” Rex yells, angling his head so I can hear him.
We start to slow, and when Rex puts his feet down, I follow his lead, and we come to a smooth stop. Unbuckling my helmet, I tug it off, climb off the bike, and throw myself at Rex, nearly toppling us both over.
Laughing, I fling my arms around his neck as he gathers me close. “That was amazing! I can’t believe I missed out on that for so many years. No wonder kids like riding bikes.”
Rex kisses my cheek. “I’m glad you had fun.” Sliding off the bike, he stretches. “Unfortunately, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Eventually your thighs will start to burn and your ass will feel like it’s on fire.”
I can’t stop grinning. “My ass already feels like it’s on fire, and my crotch has been numb for the last twenty minutes.” Like, seriously numb. I’m a little concerned with the tingling going on down below.
“Welcome to the club. You’ve officially been inducted into bike-riding hell.”
I look around at all the shops, trying to figure out what we’re going to do, when something catches my eye. A tiny bakery sits on the corner across the street. The front window is packed full of desserts, and a purple sign hangs above the door: Sugar.
“Do you mind if we stop in there?”
Rex follows my gaze when I point to the bakery. “It’s your day.” Sweeping his arm out in front of him, he motions for us to continue. But instead of riding over there, we walk the bike across the street, securing it to a small bike rack out front.
A bell chimes when we open the door. The smell of frosting and chocolate floods my nose, and I let out a soft moan.
“It smells delicious in here. I think I could eat one of everything,” I whisper, looking through one of the display cases.
A young woman with short blond hair walks around the corner, smiling. “Hi, I’m Tara. Welcome to Sugar. What can I get for you?” She has on a black apron, although it’s nearly white with flour, and a chunk of brown is smeared across her forehead.
“I was hoping to inquire about your catering services,” I say, grabbing a pamphlet from the front counter. “I assume you do events and parties?”
The woman’s face lights up. She practically bounces around the corner. Rex’s eyes widen at her enthusiasm, and he reaches for my hand when she approaches us. “I do all events. Nothing is too small or too big.” She glances at our joined hands. “I’m guessing you’re here for an engagement? Or dare I say wedding?”
Sputtering, I look at Rex—who seems way too happy—and back to her, but she’s already bustling past us.
“Follow me. I have an entire room dedicated to wedding cakes.”
“We’re not getting married,” I clarify.
She stops, turns on her heels, and frowns. “Bummer. You’re so cute together.”
My cheeks flush, and Rex beams back at her, his fingers tightening around mine. “Thank you,” he says.
“We’re here because we’re planning an anniversary party for his parents.”
“Well, you’re in luck.” This time she bustles past us in the opposite direction, and we turn to follow. “What are you hoping to do? Cake? Cupcakes? Pie?” She leads us to a small, round table in the back corner that’s stacked high with binders.
“We haven’t really decided.” I look at Rex, and he just shrugs. Typical man. I pick one of the binders and thumb through the pages. “Your work is fantastic.”
“Thank you. My grandmother taught me everything I know. Here, look through this.” She hands me a different binder. I flip through pages and pages of different anniversary pieces she’s put together, as well as various flavor and icing combinations.
“There are so many choices. Would it be possible for us to come in for a taste test?”
The bell above her door rings, and a woman and little girl walk in.
“Absolutely. Get a few ideas of what you’d like to sample, and I’ll be right back. We can schedule something.”
She scurries off, and I turn to Rex. “Do you see anything you like?”
His eyes rake over me. He gives me a cocky look, and I roll my eyes.
“I’m not on the menu.”
“Not yet you’re not. I wonder if she’d let me buy a tub of icing.”
“A tub of icing? Without the cake? Why on Earth would you want that?”
Rex gives me a heated look.
“Ooooh.” I look around, lowering my voice. “Get chocolate fudge.”
Eyes wide, Rex looks at me as though I just made his entire day. Scratch that, his entire fucking year. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.” I slap his arm. “Now help me pick out flavors.”
By the time Tara returns, we’ve decided on white almond cake with vanilla buttercream, red velvet with a cream cheese frosting, lemon cake with raspberry filling and lemon cream cheese frosting, and a marble cake with chocolate and vanilla swirl buttercream icing.
“Great choices. When can you come in?” Tara asks. “I’m available next Wednesday evening and anytime next Thursday.”
I look at Rex. “I’m good with either one. What works for you?”
“Let’s do Thursday afternoon. Maybe around two?”
“Two is perfect,” Tara confirms, writing it down on her calendar. “I’ll see you guys then.”
Rex and I are almost out the door—sans chocolate fudge icing, much to my disappointment—when he stops mid-step. “I’m going to see if she has a restroom I can use before we leave. I’ll meet you outside?”
I nod and step out on the sidewalk, nearly plowing into a group of people. I move to the side to see what they’re all looking at. There’s a silver man standing like a statue on a giant box a few feet away. I maneuver myself a little bit closer and watch for several minutes, waiting for him to move.
“What’re you staring at?” Rex whispers from behind me. He follows my gaze toward the mime and then mumbles, “You could be standing here all day. It’s amazing how long he can hold that position.”
“Do you ever look at people and wonder what their story is?” I whisper.
“Not really.”
I nudge him with my elbow. “Like, how does someone become a mime? I bet he’s a college student. His mother lost her job with the last recession and hasn’t been able to get back on her feet. This is the last thing he wants to do, but he needs to put food on the table and get himself through school.”
Rex doesn’t respond right away. A minute passes, and then he takes a stab at it. “Nah. This is fun for him. His parents are strict. He rebelled, moved out when he was eighteen, and whatever he makes here is his partying money.”
“Interesting theory. I guess we’ll never know.” We continue to watch the young man for a few more minutes and then I turn, running smack into Rex’s chest. “Sorry—” My thoughts trail off when I see him holding a small purple box. “What’s that?”
“Oh, this? It’s a cupcake.”
“You didn’t have to go to the bathroom, did you?” He shakes his head. “Did you get us that tub of frosting?” I tease, secretly hoping he did.
He shakes his head again. “Not this time. But I will.”
“Is that for me?”
Rex looks around at the crowd, which is starting to dissipate, and when he looks back at me, I know he’s up to something.
“Excuse me…” Rex steps around me, toward the group of people.
What the hell is he doing? I frantically grab at his arm, but I can’t catch him.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?”
He’s a force to be reckoned with, and he’s too damn gorgeous for his own good, so of course everyone gives him their full attention, minus a few stragglers in the back who continue walking away.
“Today is my girlfriend’s birthday,” he announces, motioning toward me.
Oh, God. Everyone turns to look, and heat creeps up my neck, infusing my cheeks. I’m going to kill him.
“Say hi, Shae.”
Embarrassed that he’s putting me on the spot, and desperate to get all the eyes off me, I give a miniscule wave. Also, did he just call me his girlfriend?
“I was hoping you guys would join me in singing her ‘Happy Birthday’.”
A chorus of oohs and ahhs spreads throughout the small crowd, and before I have time to protest, Rex starts singing, and everyone joins in. I stand frozen, my eyes locked with Rex’s as he leads the impromptu choir.
A big part of me wants to turn around and flee, but I can’t because the other part realizes what he’s doing. First the skating, then the bike ride, and now this. Rex is trying to make up for some of the things I missed out on as a child. My heart swells in my chest as I look at his smiling eyes, and whether he realizes it or not, he steals a tiny piece of my heart.
A piece I know I’ll never get back.
And I’m all too willing to give to him.
The song ends. Rex thanks the crowd before shouldering his way back toward me. He stops in front of me and opens the box to reveal a vanilla cupcake with buttercream icing and brightly colored sprinkles.
“Excuse me.”
Rex and I look over as a gorgeous blonde walks up. She’s on a mission, and I must be invisible because she doesn’t spare me a glance as she slips a paper in Rex’s hand, winks, and walks away. My jaw nearly hits the sidewalk.
You have got to be kidding me. “Did she just give you her number?”
Bitch.
Without looking at the paper, Rex throws it in a nearby trashcan.
“He’s a keeper.” I turn to find an older lady standing next to me. She pats my arm. “That’s something my Gerald would’ve done. We were married for fifty-three years. I lost him last January, but rest assured, he would’ve loved your fella.”
I smile when she calls Rex my fella.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I say, not sure how to respond.
“Don’t be. Best fifty-three years of my life.” With another pat to my arm, she continues down the sidewalk.
I look at Rex. He holds out the box, and I delicately slip the cupcake out and take a bite.
“Happy birthday.”
“It’s not my birthday, and if I remember correctly, you already threw me a kick-ass skating party.”
“Doesn’t matter.” With his thumb, Rex wipes a crumb from the corner of my mouth. “You missed so many, I figured today is as good a day as any to start making up for them.”
Taking a deep breath, I study my cupcake and take another bite—anything to keep from crying, which is what I really want to do because how could any woman be deserving of a man like Rex?
I swallow, getting a hold of my emotions. “You don’t have to make up for the lost birthdays.”
“I know I don’t.” Wrapping his fingers around my wrist, he pulls my hand—cupcake and all—to his mouth and takes a bite.
“How did I get so lucky and find you?”
Rex brushes his lips against mine. “I could ask you the same thing.”