Page 65 of Never To Forever

Her hands tremble in mine, but she doesn’t pull away.

“I love you,” I confess, my voice thick with emotion. “I’ve loved you for a long time, and the thought of losing you, of pushing you away because of my own stupidity—it’s unbearable. My mom wouldn’t have wanted this. She wouldn’t have wanted me to push away someone who makes me feel alive, who understands me, and who challenges me, and she wouldn’t have wanted me to hurt you. She loved you and just wanted you to be happy, and I’ve been getting in the way of that by denying my feelings.”

Tears spill down Marie’s cheeks. “Garrett…”

I squeeze her hands gently. “I don’t want to hide how I feel anymore. I want to build a life with you—not because I feel obligated, but because I choose you. More than anything in the world, I want to be with you. I want us to be a family, Marie. Please tell me it’s not too late. That my foolishness hasn’t pushed you away for good.”

She doesn’t say anything for several moments as she gazes at me, and I don’t know what’s going through her head. I’ve disappointed her before, so if she struggles to believe me now, it’s understandable. If she doesn’t, I won’t give up.

I’m all in with her.

Moments pass, feeling like hours, before she finally replies, her lips trembling. “I love you too, Garrett. I always have.”

Her words cause a weight to lift off my chest, and I pull her into my arms, holding her tightly. My heart feels like it’s going to burst, it’s beating so hard.

When she looks up at me, her dark brown eyes shining with tears and love, I kiss her. With the kiss, I make a silent vow to spend the rest of my life making up for all the hurt I’ve caused her. I’ll never let her doubt my love and dedication to her ever again.

This is right. This is exactly where I’m supposed to be… in her arms, wrapped up in her love and the warmth of her touch.

When we finally pull apart, her forehead rests against mine, and she whispers, “I can hardly believe this is real.”

I smile, brushing a tear from her cheek. “This is just the beginning, Marie. I promise.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

MARIE

“Areyou sure you want to do this?” Garrett asks as we walk down the street toward the bookstore.

I glance up at him and nod, clenching my teeth in determination.

“Yeah, yeah, this is important,” I assure him. “I have to do this.”

He gives me a nod and reaches down to place his hand on the small of my back. His touch is warm and firm and helps me keep my courage up. The boutique comes into sight a moment later, and my dad is waiting for us outside the front door. As we approach, he gives me a small, irritated frown.

“What am I doing here, Marie?” he demands to know without bothering to say hello. I knew asking him to meet me here would aggravate him - he hasn’t stepped foot in this place since Mom died, and actually tried to convince me to sell it when I turned eighteen.

“You and I need to talk, Dad,” I say, coming to a stop in front of him.

“And we have to talk here?” he grumbles, glancing up at the store front.

“Yeah,” I nod. “We do. Come on in.”

Stepping past him, I pull the key from my pocket and unlock the door. I walk inside and turn to make sure Dad follows me. It’s a relief when he does and Garrett steps in after him, shutting the door behind him. Stopping in the middle of the space, I face Dad fully. He’s gazing around with a scowl.

“This place is a dump,” he declares. “Why do we have to do this here?”

Taking a deep breath, I raise my chin and say, “Because I’m going to reopen it as a bookstore. I’ve been wanting to for years and with Garrett’s help, I’m finally going to do it.”

Dad gives me a skeptical look before shooting a glare at Garrett.

“What? It’s not enough you get my daughter pregnant, but you have to convince her to leave her stable job for this place?” Dad scoffs and shakes his head. “What a crock of shit.”

I press my lips together as my anger rises up and burns through me.

“Dad, stop!” I snap. “Don’t talk to Garrett like that. We’re together, and he’s the father of my baby. Show him some respect.”

Dad rolls his eyes. “Marie, I don’t have time for this. Tell me what I’m doing here or I’m leaving.”

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