Ridiculous and silly, but it’s true.

  “After he and I drop off the stuff at the donation spot—I think I’ll try the one for the elderly—we’ll come back and unload everything else. I know you’ll be tending to your plants, so we’ll make sure everything is okay. Hell, if it wasn’t already late, I’d say let’s do it all now.”

  We got started later today because we went out for a late dinner with our families, so we both slept in. Then we went to lunch with my family since they flew out around four. Owen’s parents wanted us to come to dinner with them and his aunt Grace, but we had to do this. I check my phone and realize he’s right. “We could pack up and take everything back to your place.”

  He nods. “True, but I have to admit something.”

  I look around, bringing in my brows, confused. “About what? Did you find a snack and not share?”

  He looks at me, straight-faced and oh-so guilty. “I did eat some Reese’s I found, but it’s not that.”

  “Those were mine!”

  “We’re an us, so they were ours.”

  I throw a pillow at him playfully, and he dodges it with no issue. “We are not an us until we are married, Owen Adler. You owe me a Reese’s.”

  “Fine, jeez. Sharing is caring, you know,” he throws at me, and I stick out my tongue at him. “But as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted.”

  I gape at him. “You ate my Reese’s!”

  He continues, ignoring me. “Ever since the first time I came into this room, I’ve wanted to take you in that bed.”

  Shit, forget the Reese’s. He points to my bed, and I raise a brow as my body turns to lava. “For real, for real?”

  “So for real,” he says, coming toward me. “So, instead of taking everything back right now, why don’t I take you to bed?”

  “Before we donate it to the elderly?”

  He grins. “Yeah, it won’t be getting that kind of use once it gets there, so we kind of owe it to the bed, in all honesty.”

  The hunger in his eyes leaves me breathless. “You may be right.”

  “I am. What do you say to the plan?”

  “I say, I love a man with a plan.”

  He flashes that single dimple at me, making me fall all kinds in love with him once more. He takes me by the hips, and our lips meet instantly. He slides his fingers along the top of my jeans and finds the button to undo them. That’s when I realize I’m super screwed. There is absolutely no way I can hide my stomach from him.

  It’s fine. He loves you. You’ve got this.

  He nibbles at my neck as he pushes my jeans down over my hips before taking ahold of my IceCats T-shirt. He licks up my jaw, nibbling on my lobe before whispering in my ear, “God, you feel so good.”

  I close my eyes, knowing in my soul that he is enjoying me. I squeeze my eyes shut when he pulls up my shirt, but then I know I can’t. I stop him by holding his wrist, and when I open my eyes, he’s looking at me.

  “What's wrong?”

  I’m breathless as I try to come up with something. “Why don’t we wait till we get back to the house?”

  He eyes me, and I feel like time comes to a standstill. “So, you can wear a dress, distract me with a fantastic blow job, and get me so out of my mind that I take you from behind?”

  I press my lips together. Guilty. “Oh, you’re onto me, I see.”

  “Yeah,” he says flatly. “I thought it was all in my head, but now I know for a fact that you’re hiding yourself.”

  “Not hiding myself, just my stomach.”

  He looks at me in disbelief. “Angie, do you know how insane that is? Why?”

  I scrunch up my face, positioning my hands in front of my belly. “Because it’s gross, and I don’t want you to be disgusted by it.”

  His eyes are still full of disbelief. “Let me ask you something,” he says, leaning toward me. “Have I thought any part of you is disgusting?”

  “No, but my stomach is.”

  “Angie! This is madness. So what, we go on in life, and I’m never allowed to see your stomach?”

  I sputter to get the words out. “I’m sure when I lose some weight—”

  “I don’t want you to lose any fucking weight!” he yells, and I pause, holding his gaze. “I love you just the way you are. I love how it feels when I hold you, I love how you look in clothes, and I love every single dimple and mark on your skin because it’s you! You don’t need to lose weight to love yourself, and I don’t know how many times I have to fucking tell you that!”

  I swallow hard. “And you don’t know what it’s like to go from skinny to fat!”

  “You’re not fucking fat!” he shouts, gaping at me. “Fuck, Angie!”

  He kicks a box, shaking his head as he turns from me. The tension is thick, and when he looks back at me, I see the tears in his eyes and they gut me. “How in the hell can you love me when you don’t even love yourself?”

  I pause. “I do love myself.”

  “Then show me your stomach.”

  “Owen, everyone has something they don’t like about themselves. Well, everyone but you.”

  “Sure. But even so, when they love a person, they can share their insecurities because they know that person loves them and would never make them feel bad about those.”

  “It’s not that easy for me. This is the worst part about me.”

  “And that’s an issue because I don’t see it that way. I see your stomach as a place that holds the food I have to force you to eat. My favorite spot to wrap my arm around when we’re sleeping. The part you rub when you get super full and happy. Angie, it’s the place my children will grow one day, and you’re trying to tell me I can’t see that part of you?”

  My lips wobble as I shake my head. I wasn’t expecting any of that. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “With all those things I just said, you still think I’m gonna leave you when I feel that way?”

  I look away, tears spilling over and down my cheeks.

  The air is thick with tension, and soon, he’s walking toward the door. “I need a minute.”

  The door shuts, and I swallow, the emotion taking over. Why is this so hard for me? He’s basically screaming he loves all of me, and I’m fighting him on believing it. It’s not fair. It’s not right, and I do love myself. I do. I’ve fought so hard to do just that, so why can’t I love this piece of myself?

  Especially with how much he loves it and he hasn’t even seen it.

  I hurriedly refasten my jeans as I rush out of my room to chase him down, but before I can get to the back door, Leroy is standing there. I pause, unsure what the hell he is doing here. I told London I was coming, and they’re usually not home when I come.

  His laughter runs down my spine as he shakes his head. “Won’t fuck you because you’re a fat, disgusting cow?”

  I really don’t have time for this, and where the hell is London? “Fuck you, Leroy. Get out of my way.”

  I move past him, but when he grabs me, I go still. I have never been afraid of him; I’ve had no reason to be. He’s a piece of shit, but I never felt in danger. That is until I meet his dark, beady eyes.

  “I’ll fuck your fat ass. Come here.”

  I try to pull my arm from his grip, but all I see is a body move past me like a shadow before Leroy is against the wall and Owen has him by his neck. Leroy’s eyes are wide and full of shock as Owen holds him there, glaring in his face. I don’t even have time to process what Leroy was saying or implying. I’m just stunned.

  “I should kill you, you piece of shit,” Owen sneers. His shoulders are wider than normal, his face red, and his hand shakes at Leroy’s neck. “You do not talk to any woman like that, but sure as hell not the love of my life.”

  “Owen, he isn’t worth it,” I plead, hearing my mom, his mom, and his dad in my head. Owen will catch a charge without even thinking twice. He can’t have a record because then he can’t volunteer for the organization. “Baby, please, we have huge plans this summer, and I don’t want you not to be able to do them because you beat his ass. He doesn’t matter. I know he’s just shit.”

  But I don’t even think Owen hears me. His face is beet red, and his eyes are wild with rage.

  “What in the world? Let him go!” London screams, and I hadn’t even realized she’d entered the room until our gazes meet. “Get your boyfriend, Angie!”

  “I’m trying!” I plead, “Owen, please. He’s not worth it.”

  “Let him go!”

  Owen shakes his head. “No.” He squeezes his hand as Leroy struggles to get free, his eyes full of fear. “First, apologize to Angie.”

  Leroy’s eyes widen to the size of quarters. Owen lets up his grip a little, and Leroy looks at me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you that way.”

  But then he’s gagging when Owen tightens his grip again. I cover my mouth, unsure what is about to happen. I see my career going down the drain, along with Owen’s summer plans for helping players with their mental health, all over some asshole. “Please, Owen, it’s done. It’s fine.”

  “Now, admit to your girlfriend that you’ve been calling Angie a cow and fat and other nauseating shit because you are a vile person.”

  He lets up once more, but Leroy doesn’t look at London. “It’s true. I have.”

  London covers her mouth, and Owen loosens his grip, allowing Leroy to fall to the floor. Owen towers over him. “Stay the fuck away from Angie. And if I see you near her, I will kill you.”

  Leroy only nods as he clutches his neck.

  “And if you think you want to turn me in for assault, she will turn you in for attempted rape, and I’ll testify to seeing the whole thing.” London gasps, and Owen sets her with a look. “Your boyfriend is trash. Get a new one, and maybe apologize to Angie for being a bitch to her when all she wanted was your support.”

  He then looks at me before he reaches out and wipes the tear from my cheek. “Let’s get your stuff and get the hell out of here.”

  I only nod and follow him to my old room, knowing that could have been a lot worse and surprised it wasn’t. I don’t know what he’s thinking or what he intends to do, but one thing is for sure, I’m terrified.

  It’s not even going to be my disgusting stomach that scares him away; it’s going to be my insecurities.

  And I truly don’t know which one is worse.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Owen

  * * *

  I’m hopping mad, as my mom would say.

  I call Dart to come help, and we load up the trucks in a matter of minutes. The whole time, London is screaming at Leroy and throwing his things out on the lawn. I don’t tell Dart about Leroy because, unlike the summer programs I want to participate in to bring awareness to mental health, Dart has nothing holding him in line. He’ll beat the shit out of Leroy for Angie, and I won’t stop him.

  Hell, I’ll buy him a beer.

  And a stripper.

  London doesn’t say anything to Angie, and Leroy hightails it pretty quickly. I don’t say anything either. I can’t even look at Angie, I’m so pissed at her. I thought she had overcome her body image issues. She was scared about her parents, and they loved her right through that. Our sex is unbelievable, but I’ve been so blinded by her, I didn’t even notice that I never fully got her naked. Like, how pathetic is that? She mesmerized me and hid herself from me, the one person who loves even a pimple on her ass. I’ve made that known, yet she still hid. Angie knew how much I wanted her to feel comfortable and love herself, but I’m left feeling played.

  It’s a really crappy feeling.

  Angie sits in the cab, quiet and looking small as we drive back to my house.

  “I’m sorry about Leroy.”

  I make a face. “It’s not your place to apologize, Angie.”

  “I know, but thank you for not killing him. I really didn’t want you not to be able to do those programs this summer.”

  “I know,” I answer. “That’s why I didn’t kill him.”

  She grimaces. “I can stay at a hotel if you’d like.”

  I don’t even look at her. “I wouldn’t like that at all.”

  “I know you’re mad.”

  “Hopping mad.”

  She frowns. I’m pretty sure the last time she heard that phrase was when Evan and I put a hole in Benji’s trampoline because we wanted to see who could stay out of the hole. My buddy Asher Brooks fell through and broke his arm. Mom was hopping mad then. “I understand if you—”

  “Angie.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Stop. Give me a few.”

  She snaps her mouth shut, and we drive back in silence. As Dart and I unload her boxes, she carefully takes in her plants. The house is so full of tension, I feel like I’m drowning in it.

  Dart isn’t dumb, and when we’re alone in the room, he asks, “Are you two fighting?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s not good on moving day.”

  I shrug. “It happens.”

  “True that. Did you choke out that Leroy guy? It was either you or the chick, ’cause his neck was busted.”

  I raise my hand, owning it. “He called Angie a fat, disgusting cow.”

  Dart blinks and hooks his thumb behind him. “And you let him walk away?”

  I exhale heavily. “I can’t have a record for assault. It will ruin my work with the mental health compound this summer.”

  “Ah, true. Okay. Want me to go back and make sure he can’t walk?”

  I cup my best friend’s shoulder, laughing. “He isn’t worth it.”

  “Shit, it’s more for me than anything. Oh, and Angie’s honor.”

  And this is why Dart is my best friend.

  We share a nod of acknowledgment before we go to get more boxes. Once everything is in the house, I move her desk to the plant area where she is. Very carefully, she rearranges her plants and makes sure none of them are touching. She doesn’t look as happy as she usually is when she does this, and that’s how I know she’s truly upset about our fight. I set up her laptop and then some of her schoolbooks before putting her book bag on the chair.

  When I’m done, I walk toward our room, but I pause to ask, “Do you want me to start putting your clothes away?”

  She shakes her head without looking at me. “I’m coming.”

  I head to the room and start unloading the boxes so the clothes are easier for her to hang. When she comes in, I’ve made piles everywhere, and she gets to work. She doesn’t have many clothes but enough to take her an hour to put away. We do it in silence. We’ve never not talked for this long and it’s killing me, but I’m still so upset. I watch as she hangs things, and she’s just so goddamn magnificent.

  I get up and grab a guitar. I tune it and feel her gaze on me. When I start to play “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars, I see her out of the corner of my eye as she leans against the wall, clutching some clothes to her chest. I start to sing the chorus, badly, but it’s only for her. I finish the song, meeting her gaze, and a small smile sits on her lips. I drop my hands to my sides and then shrug.

  “You know I love every single thing about you.”

  Her eyes are shiny with tears as she meets my gaze. “I know you do.”

  “Surely you understand why I’m so upset, then.”

  “It’s not that I don’t, Owen. It’s that it’s not that easy for me.”

  “But it should be, because I wouldn’t be grossed out or anything of that nature when it comes to you.”

  She looks away and shrugs. “I just feel like sometimes you forget I’m overweight.”

  “Because to me, it doesn’t matter,” I say simply. “And I’ve told you that from the beginning.”

  “I know, but I…” She struggles as her voice fills with emotion. “Not everyone is you.”

  I nod. “You’re right. But I’m yours.”

  Her little lip wobbles, and she hangs the dress she’s holding. When she turns, she looks at me as the tears begin to fall. “I’ve just spent so much time hating myself, and then I started to fall in love with me, enjoy how strong I am and the shape my body is taking. I started working out because it was fun, especially when I’m with you. But my stomach isn’t doing much—it’s all lumpy and full of marks. It’s not pretty.”

  “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen it,” I throw at her, and she rolls her eyes.

  “You’ll say it’s beautiful because you love all of me—” She stops mid-sentence and swallows. I want to scream in victory at her eureka moment, but I stand silent and I wait. The gears are working in her head, and then without her saying a word, I watch as she kicks off her shoes. I press my tongue up into the roof of my mouth as she undoes her pants and pushes them down those delectable thighs. My mouth is watering when she reaches for her shirt. I can see her hands shaking, but I stay where I am. I want to help, but she has to want to do this.

  Her eyes meet mine, and I smile. “Show me the goods, gorgeous.”

  She hesitates for only another second before she lifts her shirt, revealing the reason for our fight. Honestly, then I get distracted by her perfect boobs, but when I see what she’s been hiding, I’m flabbergasted. The part she hates most about herself isn’t even what she claimed it to be. I’m pretty sure my gut is bigger than hers. I shake my head, and her eyes widen. I hold up my phone and ask, “Can I take a picture to use when I need to get off on my road trips?”

  Her eyes go wild as she covers her stomach. “Owen!”

  “What? Sugar,” I say, shrugging as I walk toward her, “you’re fucking hot.”

  Tears fill her eyes. “You’re just saying that to get in my pants.”

  I glance at the floor where her pants are. “I mean, there aren’t much pants to get into.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  “And you bring me to my knees,” I admit, taking her in my arms and kissing the hell out of her. I pick her up and carry her to our bed before laying her down. I cover her body with mine, kissing down her neck to her chest. I pull down the cups of her bra and suck her sweet nipples into my mouth. She squirms beneath me, and my cock hurts from being so hard. I leave her breasts, kissing down her ribs and falling between her legs.