Page 69 of Grace

“Darling, I’m not asking,” I say softly.

“Promise,” she says, her eyes narrowing just a bit.

I edge closer. “Promise,” I say and brush my fingers over her heated cheek.

“I wouldn’t mind you two getting your own place,” Ashley cuts in, and I step back. “Oh, please, I hear what you two do at night. I don’t mind some smooching.”

“Ashley,” Grace warns and shakes her head.

“We won’t have this if we live together,” I whisper as I stare at Ashley, who watches me with a smug smile on her face. I’m grateful Grace has her as a roommate, helping her feel more confident, tugging her out of her shell. Perhaps if it weren’t for her encouragement, as Grace has put it, we might not have been where we are today.

“Daniel!” Grace slaps my hand away, but the smile on her lips won’t fade, and neither will mine.

She belongs with me, but I belong by her side even more.

thirty-one

Epilogue

6 months later

The cool air of the air-conditioning brushes over my face as I stare at my phone.

“Oh, Daniel, it was amazing. I never want to leave this place.” Grace beams as she shows me all the pictures she has taken while she was exploring Florence.

I shift in my seat and adjust my phone as the driver keeps a steady pace. “It looks amazing, darling.”

“Are you almost here?” she asks, her eyes glinting in the afternoon sun.

“Of course. I’m already on my way, but it will still take around half an hour to get to you.”

“I can’t wait to see you,” she whispers, a blush reddening her cheeks.

“You missed me?”

She smiles. “I know it has only been three days, but… it feels too long.”

“I know, I feel that too,” I say, and my gaze drops to my hands as I fiddle with the black velvet box. I bought it when we were in London two months ago. But I never found the courage to ask her because I knew she would say no, thinking it was too quick. And she’s probably right. Still, I carry it with me every day.

I’ve already made my choice. I’m only waiting for her to catch up and take the jump with me.

“Oh, before I forget. Bash called and asked where you were. He couldn’t get you on the phone,” she says as she scrolls through her phone to find another picture.

“I’ll call him in a bit.” I’ve seen the missed calls, but once the meeting was over, I had only one person on my mind and that washer.

The bond with my son… it’s a lot better than before. Perhaps tearing it apart, breaking it fully was what was needed for us to grow toward each other.

He’s stepped up, taken the job I had lined up for him, and after a few weeks, he had finally found his footing.

Stacy, on the other hand, left him the moment she found out he didn’t have access to my funds.

But even that has helped him grow. He apologized to Grace, took his responsibility for why the relationship didn’t work out.

Victoria… well… she’s still a very special woman. She’s has accepted Grace, but it will never be more than that. And I’m okay with it.

“Oh, the food is here,” Grace says and rises up from behind her desk in her hotel room.

Grace’s strength has amazed me over these last months. The whispers, rumors, everything that has been thrown our way, she has handled perfectly. She has become a woman who takes what she wants and claims her place in the world because she knows she is worthy enough for that spot. She doesn’t hide or cower away, and no one takes advantage of her. She won’t let you.

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