Page 87 of Without Regret

I pulled her closer, barely able to keep the emotion out of my voice. “You’re not broken. They were. It was them. Never you. You’ve had to be strong, but now you get to be happy. You just have to let the light in.” I stood there holding her while she sobbed, my own eyes tearing up from the pain she’d endured for so long.

Finally pulling back, she expelled a broken sigh. “What if I can’t do this? A normal relationship.”

Knowing we were at a tipping point, the difference between won’t and can’t, I had to shift the balance to try.

“Then I’ll do it for us until you’re ready. At least try for me, Em. It may take some time for you to trust in my love, but baby steps is all I’m asking. Because I need you. Hell, so does Simon. This morning, he’s also on a plane to New York to help convince you to still work with him.”

“I can’t work there any more.”

“He resigned from the Stone Group. So did I.”

Her expression showed her shock. “What? That’s not what I wanted. He and you shouldn’t have to choose.”

“There is no choice. Not even a hesitation. He won’t work with Tom anymore. Neither will I. And frankly, now that Simon and I are starting our own business of real estate investments, it’s a win for both of us.”

“You’re doing what?”

“Simon was looking for a way to stay in Dallas and not have to travel. He’s wanted to get into real estate for a while. And since it’s always been my dream, we’re starting together.”

“But won’t Phillip be pissed? I mean he has a lot of power and—”

“Simon has promised to stay in an advisory role if Phillip agrees to be amicable and not have him work with Tom ever again. And I couldn’t be happier to be in a job where I won’t have to lay anyone off. As for loving you, I hope you understand I’m not the only one. In addition to me, both Simon and Peyton adore you. Then there’s my sister. She’d be over the moon at the possibility of you becoming a permanent fixture in her life.”

“Permanent?” Her voice was a whisper full of panic.

Time to go big or go home. “Yes. Nothing lasts forever with the exception of love. And since there aren’t enough lifetimes for me to love you, I’ve gotta pack it all into the one we’ve got.”

Tears glistened in her eyes. “Why? Why would you love me? Even now while I’m pushing you away.”

I held her face, swiping my thumbs over her cheeks to catch the tears now falling. “Especially now. Because now is when you need it. Now is when you absolutely need to believe without a doubt I’m not going anywhere. And as for all the reasons, I’ll need years to scratch the surface of them all.”

“I don’t think it’ll be easy to love me.”

I stroked her face. “That’s where you’re wrong. Loving you isn’t hard. What’s hard is convincing you how much I do and having you believe it. But don’t you worry, sugar. We have the rest of our lives for me to show you.”

“I’ve never done this.” Her words were vulnerable.

“Me, neither. So we’ll probably suck at it for a while until we get it right.”

A smile played at her lips. “It might take me a long time to be able to say what you want to hear. I’ve never said it. Or heard it before.”

It broke my heart to know that. “It’s okay. Because when you do say it, I know you’ll mean it. But don’t ask me to stop telling you.”

She blew out a breath. “I won’t. Were you truly ready to move to New York?”

“I still am. In fact, I’ll search out dog parks, a good butcher, and a place with a barbeque. But under no circumstances should you expect I’ll become a Yankees or Giants fan.”

She laughed for the first time, and it was music to my ears.

“I’m guessing those are American sports teams’ names. And I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I don’t want to stay here.”

“Really?” Now it was my turn to be surprised.

“I wasn’t comforted by the obscurity the city has to offer this time around. Instead, I was lonely and felt empty.”

“Because?”

“Because you make me feel. Even when I don’t want to. Even when it scares me.”

I met her lips, letting all of my emotion pour out into a kiss.

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