Page 85 of Blame it on the Kiss
Honor blinked several times and swallowed. She’d dreamed about seeing him over and over again, but coming face to face with him for real was a gazillion times better.
“The first verse is, ‘Say the word and you’ll be free.’”
She didn’t know the song and still goose bumps popped up on her arms. Their eyes met and she gave silent thanks she had a chair underneath her because the sight of him made her weak in the knees. His hair was neat and tidy and she wanted to mess it up with her fingers. His blue button down shirt—the exact same color he’d worn the first night they’d met—was pressed and she wanted to wrinkle it. The top buttons were open and her pulse raced at the peek of smooth skin. But what really accelerated her heart was a glimpse of ink on his chest. Over his heart maybe? That killed her almost as much as the sexy cleft in his chin.
“Hi,” he said, standing on the other side of the table, behind the computer.
“Hi,” she said back.
“There’s a second and third verse and then the fourth verse goes, ‘Have you heard the word is love?’”
The love she had inside her for Bryce, it hadn’t stopped. It wouldn’t leave. She’d tried. And failed.
“Today I’m here to tell you, and show you, how much I love you, Honor Mitchell.” He flashed that sexy smile of his, his eyes twinkled with admiration and affection, and she gripped the edge of her chair to keep from sliding off. He loved her!
“I love your hallux.”
She burst out a laugh. He couldn’t have started with a better word or better reminder of how much they just clicked.
He loved her big toe.
“Press enter on the keyboard, Honor.”
Blinking back tears of joy, she did as he asked. The dark screen blinked to life and revealed a frozen image of the park in Town Square with… she looked a little closer… people holding some type of block.
“Hit play,” he said.
Her breath caught as she watched Sophie, Zane, Coop, Danny, Jules and Dylan line up side-by-side on the monitor. They each held a large pale wooden block with a black letter painted on the front to spell out the word hallux. The blocks looked like Scrabble pieces with small numbers in the bottom right corner denoting point value.
“I love your smile,” Bryce said next.
Sophie and the hallux gang put their blocks down on the grass and dispersed just as Midge and the Street Team, along with Mr. Case, hurried onto the screen with letters in their hands to spell out s-m-i-l-e.
“I love that you care more about others than you do yourself.”
Honor continued to watch the video in awe as an overhead camera angle showed Midge’s group put the letters down on the ground vertically, using the second “l” in hallux. Mr. Case took his “l” and hurried away as the mayor and his wife and others she’d known her whole life spelled out s-e-l-f-l-e-s-s.
Oh my god. Bryce was playing Scrabble, right there in the middle of town to show her what he loved about her. Tears pricked the back of her eyes again. Her whole body shook.
“I love your mind and your spirit and your laugh.”
Using the “s” in smile, the blocks spelling selfless were laid on the ground just as a new group showed her l-a-u-g-h.
Honor covered her mouth with her hand. Some major filmmaking, not to mention coordination had taken place to bring her this piece of magic.
“And I really love the way you osculate.”
“In English please!” someone shouted on screen and she marveled that Bryce had timed his speech so perfectly with the video. He must have practiced.
“Kiss,” Honor muttered, her eyes lifting to lock on Bryce’s. She wanted to kiss his whole face. Hide the two of them away in her house and kiss him until next week.
The osculate group put their letters down and then the video cut to an overhead shot again. Honor stared at the screen, the words on the grass linking to form the most beautiful Scrabble puzzle she’d ever seen. Her heart leaped into her throat.
“I loveyou,” Bryce said.
She looked back up to find he held his own block letter—U. His eyes sparkled with mischief and passion as he stepped around the table and took her hand to lead her outside. Then he slid the lid off the block and a bunch of colorful butterflies fluttered free. Her mouth fell open, she sighed in more happiness than she thought possible.
“Let me love you, Honor. Fly with me for the rest of our lives.” He put the block down and took her in his arms. She could barely breathe, so overwhelmed by what he’d done.
