Page 166 of Bookworm
"Yeah, her husband's away a lot on business. That's mainly what we talk about."
I nodded in sympathy. "Oh, so you're pining after a married woman. Thatmust be hard."
Bo scoffed. "Not as hard as talking to you sometimes."
I blinked.
"Kent, Bianca's not the one," he said, staring into my eyes intently. "It's you."
"What?" I breathed.
"It's always been you."
I shook my head unable to believe it.
"Ask me about my first memory of you," he said.
"Why?"
"Just ask."
"Okay," I said, "what was your first memory of me?"
"It was summer," he said. "The sun was setting. I'd been practicingoutside my house, trying to get my round-house kick for hours. I was tired, and I got sloppy, fell to the ground, knocked my head on the cement,and scraped my knee. Youcame running out of your house a minute later, wearing overalls and a white t-shirt. Your hair was in these two little doughnuts on your head."
He smiled at the memory.
"I remember you kneeling down, holding up ahand, asking me how many fingers. I must've gottenit right because you ruled out a concussion. Then you touched my knee and bandaged me up. When I asked how you knew what you were doing, you said—"
"I read it in a book," I finished.
Bo nodded and took my hand. "I knew then."
"Knew what?"
"You were it for me, always have been."
"But…then why didn't you tell me?" I asked.
"I don't know if you've noticed," he said, "but I'm not the best with people. Or talking. Or smiling. All the things you do so easily."
Threading my fingers through his, I said, "I don't think you give yourself enough credit, Stryker. Look at all these people from The Academy who came to help. They did that for you. They obviously like you a lot."
"Are they the only ones?"
"No," I said, and he seemed to exhale in relief. "I more than like you, Stryker."
"Good to know."
"But I do have a confession to make."
He looked at me in question.
"Though this may make you want to run in the opposite direction," I said. "That day we met I'd been watching you practice from my window. That's how I knew when you fell."
"Ah," he said.
"And that's not worst part." I blushed. "I…I've been watching since then. When you work out in the mornings, I wake up pretty much just to see you."
