Page 93 of Why Not Forever?

He’d given it to me at the altar, after he’d said his vows. He’d said I’m smart and strong and that I didn’t take shit from people. That anyone would be lucky to be with me. He’d told me it had been easy to fall in love with me in university and even easier to stay there now. Could he have been in love with me this whole time?

I don’t know how long I’ve been here, opening every piece of origami, reading his notes. When I look at the time, it’s been two hours since I tried to call him and he sent the text back.

Why is he not home yet?

I try to put myself in his position. He thinks I want Sterling, and he’s messed up my chance to get it. I am almost certain that he loves me. He hasn’t written it in any of these notes, but actions speak louder than words. And his actions are screaming at me that he has always wanted this relationship to be real.

I glance at the paper rose he gave me eight years ago, the morning after we’d slept together, and my heart skips a beat.

He wrote a note in every single piece. Could there be one there as well?

I stand and take it from the vase, but I can’t bring myself to unfold it. It’s perfect. It’s the first one he ever made me. The other flowers are sitting in their vase. I could open any of them. But I want to know whatthisone says, and there’s only one person who can tell me.

Determined, I snatch up my phone and march to the front door, stepping into my shoes before I yank it open only to come to an abrupt halt.

Tanner is standing there, looking like absolute hell. His eyes are shadowed, and his shoulders are slumped. He looks like he’s ready to be yelled at.

“I was just coming to find you,” I say, breathless.

“Here I am,” he says.

Chapter 34

Tanner

Sheletsmeintothe apartment, which I take as a good sign. I’ve been walking for the last several hours, all the way around Stanley Park. By the time I reached this side, I knew I had to come home, even if she’s about to tell me she’s done with the marriage.

“Listen, Vic, I’m sorry—” I cut off as I look at the dining table, seeing the stack of paper there. My heart hammers in my chest and I swallow hard, wondering what she thinks about what she’s read. “You found my notes.”

She holds up the paper rose on its green pipe cleaner, the first one I ever gave her. I hadn’t noticed she was holding it when she opened the door. “What does this say?”

I gesture to the table where she’s unfolded all the other origami. “You could open it and find out.”

She shakes her head. “Just tell me.”

I take the flower from her, staring at it. I’d been so full of hope when I’d written this note and given her the flower.

“It was this flower that made me think I had a chance with you. I hoped you’d kept it because you had some kind of feelings for me. I probably couldn’t tell you what the rest of the notes said exactly. I’ve written so many over the past few months. But this one. I remember what this one says.”

It’s interesting to me that I can say this now when I never thought I’d be able to. She’s opened all the notes. She hasn’t opened the roses, but still, she has to suspect.

“Tell me,” she begs.

I face her, meeting her eyes, because I realize Iwantto say this. Even if she’s about to tell me to leave. Even if I’ve just thrown away the one thing she wanted from me. I need her to know before I let her go. “I’m not ready to say this—”

“I don’t care—”

I press a finger to her lips, stopping her from speaking, my mouth kicking up on one side in a semblance of a smile. “It says I’m not ready to say this, partly because I know you’re not ready to hear it. I am in love with you, Victoria Sterling.”

She sucks in a breath and her eyes sparkle with moisture. I keep my finger over her mouth and gesture to the other flowers. The ones I put there on the first day of every month since the day she got sick and I realized how much I wanted to tell her I was in love with her.

“They all say variations of the same thing, except I changed Sterling to Marcus. You said you don’t mind me using Victoria as long as I add my last name to it.” She nods, since I’m still preventing her from speaking. I take a deep breath. “I have a confession. I’ve been in love with you for a very long time. Since before we got married, in fact. And before you tell me I’ve messed everything up, I need you to know that.”

She pulls my hand away from her face. “When? When did you fall in love with me?”

“I didn’tfallin love with you, Vic.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and she lets me. “Falling in love makes it sound like I tripped or something. That’s not what it was really like. It was more like a slide. But not one of those steep ones where you’re out of control. It was gentle. Gradual. Inevitable. There was a purposeful aspect to it as well. I climbed the ladder. I knew what I was doing.” I drop my hand. “And now I’ve fucked it all up, haven’t I?”

She rolls her eyes. “Have I said you’ve fucked it up?”

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