Page 66 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

She still hates her and I don’t blame her one bit. I feel exactly the same way about Alex.

‘Danika only made it worse. It was your mom, Berkley.’

‘Mymom?’

I nod slowly. ‘One night I ended up in jail with multiple charges that have only recently been settled. I called Bryce, but he was working, so he called Bianca andshecalled your mom. It’s probably the thing that saved my life.’

‘She never told me—’

‘I know. She didn’t want to hurt you more than I already had.’

Berkley frowns, wiping tears from her face.

‘She was right. About everything. I needed to fix what was broken in me before I could fix what I’d broken in you. So, that’s what I did.’

For a moment, she stares at me, confusion all over her face. ‘You’re really sober? And you faced temptation by coming to a bar to talk to me?’

‘Berkley, I’d face a fucking dragon for you. And yes, I’m three months sober officially, and I now have hundreds of hours of therapy in the books.’

‘And you actually quit the show? No moreRoyals, forreal?’

I nod. ‘I paid a price, trust me, but it’s all over. The network high-ups call me daily but I’ve blocked all their numbers and I’m now officially out.’

She stares at me silently, shock on her face. She has her doubts.

‘I had to save myself, baby. Nobody could do this for me. My world on the show was chaotic, shallow and complete bullshit. And the life I wanted was right in front of me, yet like a total fuckwit I didn’t take it. You deserved better than who I was. So I became that better before I tried again.’

‘I know I’m asking the same questions over and over but my heart and head are having a hard time understanding this. This is you here to try again or is this just one of your twelve steps – to make amends to the people you’ve hurt?’

‘I’m here because I want another chance, Berkley. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved and I’ll doanythingto make all of this up to you.’

Her brows squish together. ‘I dunno…’ she says. ‘I’ve had this dream before – you in my living room apologizing. What if I wake up tomorrow, and none of it’s real?Again.’

God, she’s dreamed of this, while I had nightmares she was marrying Alex. I really broke this woman’s heart while I broke my own. Taking a chance, I reach up, wiping away her tears with my thumb.

‘I’m really here, Berx, and it’s literally the only place I want to be. But if you don’t feel the same anymore – if you tell me you no longer love me – I’ll walk away.’

She stares into my eyes, hers glazed over with tears. The silence hurts. Her answer here is all I’ve worried about since I came up with this plan.

‘I can’t say I don’t love you,’ she says, as she slides her thumb over my hand. ‘It never went away no matter how much I tried to force it.’

Thank. Fucking. God.

‘Then I’ll still be here tomorrow and every day after that until we are either back to how we were, or you decide you don’t want me.’

‘I’ve never not wanted you,’ she says, lying back against the couch, her hand on her head.

‘Ditto,’ I say, so glad to hear those words. ‘We were made for each other, Berx. I believed it the day I met you and I still believe it now.’

‘Really?’

‘Absolutely.’

She rubs her temples gently, clearly still feeling the tequila from earlier. She’s in no shape to talk any more than we already have.

‘How about for now, we get you into bed to sleep this off?’

‘I’d say no, but my head is pounding.’

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