The Enemy (It Happened in Charleston, #2)

by Sarah Adams

“He was a jerk. End of story. It was wrong of him to cheat on you and even worse to make it seem like you were to blame for it. It’s not your fault he cheated. It’s his loss.”

“But I can’t say I’m not glad he’s out of the picture.”

I’m not asking for marriage or a pledge of her heart. I just want a chance. A chance to see if we are as good together as I think we’ll be.

I clear my throat, trying so hard to keep the cocky smile off my face, but it’s useless. She’s practically drooling, and I’ve never been happier.

And now I’m thinking maybe we won’t run out of time…maybe we’ll get it right this time.

“What do you want me to admit to you?”

“Admit that you’ve been pining away for me all these years.”

“June, I’ve been pining away for you all these years.”

Ryan’s face is serious. He really means what he just said, and his admittance makes my stomach turn inside out.

“June, I’m not interested in becoming the next guy in your long string of one and only dates. I like you—I have for a long time—and I’m done hiding it. I want to give us a chance, but one date is not gonna do it for me. So, are you ready to give up your rule?”

Part of me thinks we should keep talking about this. That I should empty my feelings out onto the counter like an adult and tell him I’m scared of him. I’m scared of loving him and him walking away from me. But I can’t. The words won’t budge.

He’s smiling. A warm, heart-wrenching, let’s-do-this-forever kind of smile, and I feel a piece of the ice around my heart break off. I

I’m taking in every inch of his face because I feel like I’m finally seeing him for who he really is—seeing him—the whole picture of Ryan for the first time.

“I was definitely the bad guy. I just wasn’t against you like you thought.”

I’m so mad at him for making me laugh. For taking a sledgehammer to the cement walls I’d constructed around myself.

“You’re beautiful.” And that’s the moment my heart cracks wide open. I’ve never felt more vulnerable and safe at the same time.

She literally has a body that makes me want to change both our names and move to some remote island where no one will ever be able to interrupt us so I can devote the rest of my life to showing June just how much I appreciate each of her curves.

Now that I’ve seen most of her body, I feel like forming a human blockade around her for the rest of the night—arms spread and stance wide, murder glaring at anyone who dares look past me. No one gets a peek!

She’s one of a kind. And you know what? Not someone I’m going to let slip through my fingers again.

I’ve been waiting seventeen years for this kiss, and all I can focus on now is how June feels pressed up against me, how her body melts into mine as my mouth explores hers. There’s not even the slightest bit of hesitation from her.

This kiss says we’re not just friends anymore. It’s romantic and intense, and that’s when I remember it’s also happening in the middle of a crowd.

I can’t text him, and I won’t. Because we’re NOT dating. He gets one date just like everyone else. But what if I want more than one date?

Ryan has been calling me a term of endearment from the beginning. He really did like me.

“I’m more serious about June than I’ve ever been about anything in my life, and yes, I want a family.

When I told her the other day that I’ve been having dreams that would make her blush, I’m willing to bet she had no idea they were the PG kind about our life as a family.

Seeing June like this, in her goofy socks, vulnerable and open with her hurt on full display, it makes me want to go hunt Ben down and knock his teeth out one by one.

Suddenly, dates that have absolutely no chance of leading to anything permanent feel disappointing. I don’t feel liberated by them anymore—just suffocated by my loneliness. I want Ryan in my life.

Ryan cannot know that he’s won my heart over so quickly. I need to make him sweat. Torture has always been one of our favorite games, and I’m playing it now with a smile on my face.

I choose not to think about how good he looks there. How I wouldn’t mind seeing him there every day for the rest of my life.

“Why didn’t you go out with Hunter?”

“Because he wasn’t you.”

I think I love him.

“This,” my heart whispers, “is what we’ve been missing.” I relax into Ryan and close my eyes. I don’t care about what’s on the TV. I’m too busy healing as he holds me—sticky

I’ve put my career first for so long that I’m ready to put June first now. I want to take this relationship as far as she’ll allow it.

“I can’t help it, June. I’m trying to hold back, but it’s tough. I’ve been holding back from you since I was twelve. I don’t want to anymore.”

that kiss means more to me than any kiss I’ve ever had, because she initiated it.

“I’m trying. It’s going to take me longer, though, because I wasn’t expecting this, and I’ve been conditioning myself since I broke things off with Ben to believe that I can’t trust anyone.”

Then don’t give up on me when I get weird.” I clasp my arms around her waist. “I won’t.”

“I promise, June.” I mean it. I’ll wait for her as long as it takes.

I realize I’m dead. I love her. I think I always have.

I shake my head at her. She used my body wash. She loves me.

Ryan has been staying with me all week, doing lots of things that feel suspiciously like dating, although he always swears it’s not.

I hate that life has made me so scared—but

also don’t love that I seem to put all my feelings on display when Ryan is around. Or wait. It’s a good thing to show Ryan how I’m feeling.

I catch myself thinking something that I haven’t thought in a long time. So, this is what happy feels like?

I want to tell him how I feel about him. How he scares me and comforts me at the same time. But I can’t say it yet, so instead, I wrap my arms around his waist and squeeze him tightly.

One second ago, I was fine. Now, a knot is forming in my throat, and I think I’m going to sob.

Ryan’s confidence has me launching across the room to my phone, tears leaking down my face.

I’m crazy about him! It wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did,

I’m completely happy here with Ryan, and I don’t want to be alone anymore,