Page 155 of Spies Don’t Fall for Their Best Friend

“And then you came to my dorm.”

I nod. “And then basically everywhere.”

“It made it easier for the whole ‘best friends’ thing to stick. You were persistent.”

“I was in love with you.”

Her eyes glisten, and I reach across the desk and take her hand. A loose strand of hair has fallen across her cheek, and I have to stop myself from reaching over to tuck it back just so I can touch her.

“I didn’t know it then. Not totally. But I knew my week was better when you were in it, so I kept showing up. And for the record, you didn’t trick me into becoming inseparable from you. I participated enthusiastically.”

She laughs, and her fingers tighten around mine.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

“And?”

“I can’t promise you my job will never touch your life again.”

“I know.”

“And I can’t promise nothing dangerous will ever happen.”

She nods.

“And I definitely can’t promise I’ll suddenly become comfortable when there’s something happening to you that I can’t control.”

“It’d be weird if you did.”

“But I can promise that I won’t make choices for you just because I’m afraid.” I go around the circulation desk, so I’m on the same side as Reese, standing in front of her with nothing between us. Up close, I can see every tiny detail—the barely visible freckles across her nose, the faint pink in her cheeks, the way her lips part when I move closer—and suddenly I’m very aware of exactly how much I’ve missed kissing her.

I lift her hand and kiss her knuckles. “For years, I thought that loving you meant I had to figure out how to keep every bad thing away from you first.”

“That sounds… exhausting.”

“It was.”

“And unsuccessful.”

“Extremely.”

Her mouth curves into a smile.

“But I’m done waiting until I can guarantee the outcome. I don’t know exactly what our future looks like. I don’t know what my job looks like years from now. I don’t know what our family will look like someday. I don’t know what happens next. But I know I want you in all of it.”

A tear spills over and runs down Reese’s cheek.

“I chose you a long time ago, Reese, and I’m going to keep choosing you every day.”

For a second, I just take her in—the tear on her cheek, the softness in her expression, the mouth I have been thinking about since the moment I walked into this library.

She steps into me, and I wrap my arms around her. I hold her carefully because she’s probably bruised, but I hold her tight because she is here and I’m ready to have her fully in my life.

Reese pulls back to smile at me. “I love you, Miles. I’ve loved you for so much longer than I was ever willing to admit.”

Her face is inches from mine, and everything in me pulls toward her.

And then Reese kisses me. And this time, I don’t waste a second worrying about what comes after.