Page 96 of Marrying His Brother

I inhale deeply. It’s tempting to give a flippant answer but after what he’s done with the hotel, I can’t. “Surviving.”

“I’m sorry about your father,” he says. “I can’t imagine how painful that is.”

I nod. “It was, still is, but, I’m coming to terms with it,” I say. “I was selfish wanting him to hold on. He would have hated to stay in that coma.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you,” Andrew says quietly.

My chest tightens. “I didn’t give you a chance to be there.”

“I keep thinking how tough it must have been for you. Balancing your father’s illness with a new marriage,” Andrew says. “At first, when I found out, all I could focus on was that you lied to me. I was only thinking of myself.”

A sob chokes me. I don’t deserve this.

“I wanted to tell you so many times,” I say.

Andrew pulls me into his arms and I throw my hands around his neck, loud, ugly sobs ripping out of me.

“It’s okay, it’s going to be fine,” he croons, holding me tight.

It all comes out in the form of tears. The months of worrying whether my father will come out of the coma. The strain of keeping it a secret. The weeks of missing Andrew.

Needing him to hold me the way he’s holding me now.

Andrew holds me until my crying stops. Then he draws back and keeps one hand around my waist, while he uses the other to gently wipe the tears from my cheeks.

I inhale deeply and try to smile. “Enough about me. How have you been?”

“Not good,” Andrew says. “I miss you, day and night, Emily.”

My insides turn to water. I hoped for forgiveness but this, I never let myself hope, dream that there was a chance for us.

“I’m sorry, for not understanding. For being too harsh. For not seeing things from where you were standing.”

His words pierce through me, and my heart pounds. But I can’t let him take all the blame.

“I should have told you,” I say, my voice raw with emotion. “I’m so sorry for keeping it from you, for letting it all fester in secrecy. I wanted to tell you so many times, but I was caught between loyalty to my father and my love for you. I didn’t know how to bridge that divide.”

Andrew watches me, his gaze unwavering, and then he nods. “That loyalty… it’s exactly why I fell in love with you. And why I want you asmy wife for life.” He pauses, and a faint smile touches his lips. “I just wish I’d seen that sooner.”

Giddy joy floods me. A happy laugh rises up my chest but nothing can get past the lump lodged in my throat.

Our lips meet, tentative at first, then deeper, our emotions pouring into the kiss. It’s a kiss that holds both apology and forgiveness, a connection that reaffirms what we nearly lost.

Andrew pulls me close, his hands trailing down my arms, and suddenly we’re caught up in the swell of everything we’ve been holding back, the need to bridge this distance that’s kept us apart.

His touch is familiar, but it feels new, as if we’re rediscovering each other with every movement, with every brush of our skin.

We move toward the bed, shedding the last barriers between us as he lays me down, his gaze warm and filled with an intensity that sends a thrill through me.

His hands are gentle, reverent, exploring, and I’m lost in him, in the moment, in the certainty that whatever we’ve been through, this is where I’m meant to be.

Our breath intertwines, and every kiss, every caress feels like a vow. A promise to let go of the past, to embrace the future together, no matter what it holds.

Afterward, we lie together; his arms wrapped around me, my head resting on his chest. The room is silent except for the sound of our breathing, and for the first time in months, I feel whole, as if the broken pieces have finally come together.

I lift my head, meeting his gaze and Andrew’s hand reaches up, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

“I love you so much Emily,” he says, his eyes brimming with emotion. “I can’t live without you.”

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