Page 128 of Due Diligence

God, I loved this guy.

“Well, since you’re new to being a boyfriend, I can offer you some pointers,” I quipped. “For one, it’s customary for boyfriends to tell their girlfriends they’re pretty and brilliantevery hour, on the hour. And you should also probably send me flowers on a weekly, if not daily basis.”

He brightened. “You like compliments now?”

“I like them when they come from you,” I admitted.

The moments that followed felt fleeting. His broad smile gradually drifted away from his face, leaving me colder by the second. I knew something was coming—something I wasn’t going to like.

“I can’t see you though,” he said. “Not for six months.”

My unsteady stomach curled up into a snarl. “I hate that idea.”

“But if it’s what it takes to make sure that you don’t go down with the ship, I’m going to do it.” He covered my hand with his.

Fuck, I hated this idea.

I really, truly hated this idea.

“Are you going to be okay?” I asked, even though that felt like an idiotic thing to ask. Neither of us would be okay.

“I’ll still call you,” he replied. “Probably every day. Texting. FaceTime.”

“We can’t see each other though,” I reminded him, even though he knew. “Which means, we can’t touch each other. That’s one of the best parts.”

“Not the best part though,” he said as he rubbed his thumb along the back of my hand.

I put down my cup of coffee and shifted in my seat so my body was oriented towards his. I sensed he had more to say. Sure enough, he tensed his grip and gave my hand a squeeze.

“I wanted to say this in person and wasn’t sure if I would have a chance for a long time.” His gaze went to my eyes. “I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life so far. Parts of it have been really hard—if we’re being honest.”

“I know,” I murmured as I rested my other hand on top of his.

“I’m still trying to figure out who I’m supposed to be and evenwhatI’m supposed to be. I’ve struggled with that for most of mylife.” He shook his head, still not breaking eye contact with me. His face was so certain. “Not with you though. You’re…”

Marcus trailed off as he finally looked to the side, his eyes moving over the floorboards as he collected his words. When he focused on me once more, I had to appreciate just how beautiful he was. Young. Bright. Earnest.

My everything.

“What were the odds of you and me going to the same college when we were eighteen?” he asked. “Low, right? And what were the odds of you walking into my office two months ago?”

“Incredibly low.”

He nodded. “Well, sometimes I just think we were supposed to end up together. We screwed it up the first time, but something in the universe wanted us to have a second chance.” Marcus lifted a shoulder, adding levity to such a serious notion. “I think if there’s anything I’ve learned from you so far, it’s that everyone gets a second chance. Everyone deserves that.”

“Agreed. Nobody gets it right the first time.”

He took a deep breath just like he did whenever he was going to say something bold and terrifying and beyond his comfort zone. But he always said those things because he was resilient and resolute—more so than any person I had ever met before. “Look, I have to fix this and it’s going to take me a while. But I wanted you to know I’m not going to let us blow this again. Never.”

Never.

“I’m not going to be with you for a while, but you arethe most important thingto me. If you ever feel like I’m not giving you what you need, just tell me. I’ll fix it. It’s what I’m good at, Cass. I take messy situations and I clean them up.”

“I know.”

“And you’re good at seeing what other people can’t. You’re so good at seeing people for who they really are. I hope you can helpme with that. Help me remember I’m not just a kid who messed up. Help me remember I’m persistent and I’m capable and I can handle this. Can you do that?”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I leaned forward and placed a hand on his cheek. His skin was smooth, warm to the touch. My thumb traveled over his cheek bone, tracing a slow path to his temple. I leaned forward to kiss him and the contact was soft. Reverent.

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