Page 153 of Let's Kiss and Tell

“Check your email,” I demand.

Maintaining eye contact, he reaches for his phone in his pocket. He finally peels his gaze from mine, and I watch his eyes dart back and forth reading the same email I got. He swallows and then looks up at me.

“Are you safe?” he says.

“Yeah,” I say softly and then hesitate. “Are you?”

“Yeah.” He puts his phone in his back pocket, and I let out a sigh of relief. He then pulls me in for a hug. “Jonah?” he asks and I just bury myself into his chest. “I’m so sorry,” he huffs out, kissing the top of my head. We stay like this for a while. Maybe minutes. I don’t know. “What are you thinking?” he asks. His voice breaking the silence.

I pull away from his embrace and look down.

“I just…” I stop and allow myself a deep breath. I find the strength to not think about the news we just got. I force myself to tell Marsh what I wanted to before all of this. “I don’t know about you, but tonight is perfect,” I say. “This summer has been perfect.You’reperfect.”

Marsh’s fingers intertwine into mine and he lets out a low hum. “I feel the same way, Lucy. I really do.”

“You don’t understand.” I take another deep breath, and he strokes my knuckles with his thumb. “Marsh, I’ve never felt like this before.” I look at him, hoping he understands the weight of what I’m telling him. “I don’t feel like this.I don’t have these kinds of conversations…I don’t say these kinds of things to people.”

“I know.” He looks back at me in awe. “And I don’t take it for granted.”

My heart begins to thunder in my chest, and I feel like I could practically combust at this very moment. My hands are clammy and there are knots in my stomach, but I manage to continue.

“I think…” my voice quavers.

It’s too soon to say it. It’s not the right place. It’s not the right time, but I need to say it.

“Luce?” Marsh frowns.

“I think I’m falling in love with you.” My voice crackles.

I’ve never said those words before. I don’t even know what those words really mean, but I know they’re true. I am without a doubt falling in love with Marshall Oakley.

Marsh’s smile fades. I almost think he misheard me until he takes my face into both of his hands and gives me a kiss. It’s deep, passionate, yet gentle. I don’t know how he does it, but in this kiss, he’s telling me he feels the same way. That he’s also falling in love with me, with every ounce of his mind, body, and soul. That this feeling is completely mutual and we’re in this together.

When he pulls away, his gaze focuses on mine and he wipes a tear across my cheek. “Why are you crying?” he asks.

“Because I can’t fall in love with you,” I say.

He lets out a laugh but then frowns when he realizes I’m not joking.

“What do you mean?” he says. There’s a look of concernflooding his features that I’ve never seen before. It’s a look that I never want him to have ever again. His eyes dart back and forth from mine, panicked. “What are you saying?”

Now I don’t haveanythingto say. I thought admitting how I feel was the hard part, but I was wrong. This is much, much worse.

Marsh reaches for my hand. “Lucy—”

“Please.” I pull away and there’s hurt etched along his face all over again. “I can’t do this, Marsh.”

“What do you mean you can’t do this? You just told me you’re falling in love—”

“That’sexactlywhy.” My voice cracks. “That was not a part of the plan.”

“Fuck the plan,” Marsh spits out. “I don’t care about the plan.”

“ButI do,” I say, and Marsh’s face breaks out into bewilderment. “Marsh, you know my career meanseverythingto me.”

“Of course I do,” he says, his brows now furrowed. “And I would never ask you to pick me over your career.”

“How can I not?” I say desperately. “I need that promotion, Marsh. I’ve been working atThe Ruefor almost four years and I deserve that title and that raise. I need to keep my job. Do you think they’re going to give it to the woman sleeping with the senior reporter of the parent company?”