Page 69 of The Seven Month Itch
“We could’ve stayed in. You didn’t have to do all of this to prove you love me.” I shake my head. “It’s nice, but it’s too much.”
Terrence pulls me in for a kiss to my forehead, something he does to calm me when my thoughts go down the rabbit hole like they are now. “You’re right. I don’t have to do anything. Iwantto spoil my wife and will do so until I leave this earth.”
The elevator reaches the bottom floor. I take Terrence’s hand as he walks us toward a door that leads outside. He must seethe constipated look on my face, because he kisses my hand and gives me a wink. “Relax, princess. I promise we won’t get cold.”
I brace for the night air, but it doesn’t come. We’re in an insulated hallway with hanging lights and heaters to keep us warm. After several steps, we arrive in a tented room surrounded by floor lanterns. Moonlight and stars illuminate the makeshift room through a plastic window in the ceiling. A waiter stands next to a white table and chairs. Perfect for two.
“This is.” I don’t know what to say.
“You deserve the best.”
Terrence guides me by the small of my back to my seat before he takes his. A five-course meal is on tonight’s menu, and I have to pinch myself under the table to make sure this isn’t a dream. “I-I don’t know how to thank you for today. I’m at a loss for words.” This is a lot to take in.
“You here with me is the only thing I need.”
We spend the next two hours eating a fantastic meal and catching up on what happened over the last seven months. This is the fresh start we need.
After dinner, we head back to our room, hand in hand. Full of love and filled with lobster. I’m still in awe over the last few days and how the broken pieces of our lives reconnected to create the perfect picture.
Terrence slides in the key card and holds the door for me. I take off my heels, walk to the balcony, which overlooks an ice rink, and exhale. Flames come to life in the glass door’s reflection.
I turn and lock eyes with Terrence. Several seconds pass before we meet each other in the middle of the room. Unlike the last forty-eight hours, we take our time with every kiss.
“I love you, Terrence.” My hands wrap around the back of his neck.
“Love you more.” He picks me up, and we head to the bedroom to make love for the first time that night.
This is the part of our story where we should ride off into the sunset. The part where we live out our happily ever after until our final breath. We weathered storms that nearly broke us.
But nothing prepares me for what lies ahead.
Chapter 33
Justice
“One tall macchiato and a scone for Reyes.”
I grab my order from the counter and head back to my table next to the window. This is my favorite café in Austin, and it’s become a second home on Saturday mornings. The smell of fresh-roasted coffee brings me back to the days of sitting inside a shop in Old Town while my mother graded assignments. She had stacks of papers and a caffe latte. I had hot cocoa and a library book for a weekly adventure.
The café is busy for this time of day but is still quiet enough for me to dig into this novel. Teens are lining up to take selfies in front of a backdrop of hanging flowers in the corner. Spring is here, which means endless pastel decorations.
Terrence is still in the middle of a walk-through of the space that will become his new training complex. That leaves me with forty-five minutes or so before he wraps up.
Life has been incredible since we came back from the singles’ retreat three months ago. I’m home, thanks to the movers he lined up to pack my studio the same day we landed.
We spent time talking about our future and the things we want to change in our marriage. We also spent a lot of time not talking—between the sheets, in the shower, on the counter, on the floor, in the garage—to catch up on seven months’ worth of lovemaking.
Bold espresso coats my lips. I take a generous sip and smooth down my sundress. It’s a gorgeous April day. Not a cloud in sight, and the temperature will reach the upper eighties. Everything is perfect.
Then I see him.
Preston Donnelley in full view. We lock eyes and mirror the same bewildered expression. I stare at him for a long minute to make sure my eyes aren’t playing games. He’s here in the flesh and looks as dapper as usual in a tailored suit.
“Wow. Hey! I didn’t expect to see you in Austin.”Or ever again. I rise to my feet to greet him with a hug.
He gives my back a warm pat and sits down at the empty table across from me with two drinks. “Justice, it’s wonderful to see you,” he says with a smile that exposes his dimples. “What a surprise.”
Why the heck is he in Austin? Is he here on business?
