Chapter 102
Of course, I was scared. Terified, actually. There was denying it. The thought of caring her say it that we stomach that refused to loosen. But I was door bring a comwand, Thad avoided this comernatim bingeoough It
may faced it head on
I sighed, leaning back in my chair, and ran a hand through my hair. The silence of my office won’t comforting day it was was cluttered with papers and my laptop screen glared at me, a reminder of work I hurlu‘ touched all day. But even that thoughts were consumed by her.
oes she envision a life with me as wel
Does she still want me just like I want her! Does
Then the door opened.
forting My desk matter. Not when my
There she was standing in the doorway with a small, knowing smile on her lips. Sapphire. The woman who could mavel me wal hear skipped a beat, but I quickly masked my surprise.
“I’m busy,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. “11ful you later.”
My
But she shook her head, stepping into the office and closing the door behind her. “No, you won‘), Aragon. You’ll just avokline like you’ve been doảng
for weeks. I’d rather we talk now.”
I didn’t have the strengths to argue, not with her standing there looking so determined. She crossed the room and sat down in the chair ogquisite any Adesk her gaze steady and unrelenting. My palms felt clamany, hat kept my expression rains
I didn’t want to hear it as all I was so terrified of losing her that I rather we just stay like this.
“Sapphire.” I started, but she held up a hard to stop me,
“Just listen,” she und softly. “Tknow you’re scared of what I might say. And honestly, I’ve been sored too. But we can keep dancing aroural i Aragon
Her words hit me like a punch to the chest. She was right, of course. She always was. Estayed silent, leiring berspeak.
“You hurt me,” she began. “You hurt me deeply, and for a long time, I wasn’t sure what I’d do with that. I kept telling myarif in moar onç to derit go. I picked up the pinces even though it was hard and glund myself back together, promising myself that I would never le you anywhere nearine. But then you came back into my life, and suddenly, everything fd beentrying to bury came rushing back. I didn’t trust you, for all I know you righe jour be trying to get Charlie so you could grom him. All this might just be a play in rike my baby away from me. I was skeptical bout Brali parimaarane It wasn’t like that and I was just being paranoid”
I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to interrupt. I needed to hear this, no matter how inLI
“I came back here not just because of Charlie,” she continued, her gaze softening. “I came back because of you. Because I wasted us to have a clunce. to see if we could night our wrongs. To see if there was anything left between us worth saving because at the end of the day, we ate mutes and the bond is still there regardless if we want it or not,”
My chest Lightened, and I opened my mouth to respond, but she wasn’t finished.
“For a while, I fought it,” she admitted. “I told myself it was a mistake, that we equidn’t go back. But I’ve realized something. Aragon. Taboo’t want to go back. I want to move forward. With you.”
Her words hung in the airlike a lifeline, and for a moment, I couldn’t braille. She was giving me another chance. She was willing to try. A gran spread across my face before I could stop it, and I bolted out of my seat
“Sapphire,” I said, “you have no idea how happy you’ve made me.”
I moved around the desk and pulled her into a right hug, burying my face in her hair. She smelled like home, like everything I’d been missing for so
“I promise,” I murmured. “I promise I won’t waste this chance. I’ll make it up to you, to Charlie. We’ll be one big happy family. I swear
She laughed softly, her auns wrapping around me. “That’s all 1 wanted to say,” she said, pulling back slightly to look at me. “I’ll leave you to your
work now.
I shook my head, tightening my grip on her. “Oh, no. You’re not going anywhere. Work can wait
Before she could protest, I cupped her face and kissed her. It wasn’t a kiss of desperation or fear it was a kiss of love, of gratinate, of everything i had been holding back for so long. She melted into me, and I poured every ounce of my feelings into that kiss.
When we finally pulled apan, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes sparkled with something I hadn’t seen in years. Hope.
I plan on showing you how much I love you for the rest of our lives,” I said.
She smiled, her hands resting on my chest. “You better. Because I’m holding you to 31.”
We stayed like that for a moment, just holding each other, the weight of the past slowly lifting from our shoulders. For the fint time in a long tour, felt the we had a real shot at happiness. And I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone take that away from us
Love you.” I uid softly. “I always have, and I always will”
“I love you too,” she whispered, resting her forehead against mine. “Now, let’s make it work.”
And just like that, the fear that had been gripping me all day dissolved. Because she was here, in my arms, ready to fight for in. And that
