The Tip-Off (Smart Jocks, #3)

by Rebecca Jenshak

She’s reckless and naïve. So desperate to make a mark on the world she doesn’t realize she already has.

When I open my playlist, my gaze snags on the sub-title, You’re beautiful on the outside too.

“You’re stunning in that dress. Scratch that, you’re stunning. The dress is just along for the ride.”

Being with Gabby is like wearing my headphones except instead of music drowning out the noise, it’s her making everything else fade to the background.

She walks to me slowly, or maybe time freezes. Blue-green eyes lock on mine and she runs a tentative hand along the front of my jacket. “What do you say, want to make some memories?” And then I kiss her.

“No, I’m really not.” I run the pad of my thumb delicately across the scars on her face. “You are beautiful. Not in spite of the scars, but because of them.” She rolls her eyes. “If you tell me they make me unique and special, I swear to you I will throw myself out the window.” “You live on the ground level.”

“They mean that you lived. You’re here with me right now. If you think that your scars make me want you any less, you’re wrong. I want you because of them. I want you because you’re here and you’ve made me feel more alive in the past month than I have my entire life. You lived and you brought me to life.”

I take a step back and just keep right on staring at her, wondering how I got so lucky and imagining all the ways I want to show and prove to her that I’m not lying when I say I think she’s beautiful. No, not just beautiful. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

I want someone to love me for the ugly and the beautiful, and every shade in between. True vulnerability is being seen for everything you are, the good and the bad, and Zeke is the first person I’ve let see every part of me.

Inside my room, I stop short at the pink bike with a big red bow stuck to the basket, just like I said I wanted. A card pokes out of the basket and I grab it and sit on the bed, reading through the sobs: Someday I’m going to buy you a cherry red convertible. Until then… Zeke

“Will you marry me, Gabby?” I open the box so she can see the ring, but her eyes don’t so much as glance down at the round two carat diamond I’m holding. “I promise to love you so damn much. You’ve made me happier than I’ve ever been. And, yeah, you do things like paint your boobs to look like basketballs and I wonder how I got so lucky. I don’t ever want to stop being surprised by you and your crazy shenanigans. Marry me because before you I thought I couldn’t have a relationship and be a great ball player, but now I know that being with you makes me better in every way. Marry me because if it came between you or food, I’d pick you every time.” Her smile stretches wider. “You’d die without food.” “Some things are worth dying for.” “Lucky for you, I won’t make you choose.”