Page 80 of The Dating Coach
She kissed me then, salt from tears mixing with rain from my soaked clothes. It was desperate and apologetic and full of weeks of missed opportunities. When she pulled back, we were both breathing hard.
"I missed you," she whispered against my lips. "Every second. Watched all your games. Cried when you didn't smile."
"Couldn't smile without you there," I admitted. "Nothing felt real. Just going through motions until I could figure out how to fix this."
"I'm so sorry," she said again. "Can you forgive me? For being a coward? For pushing you away?"
"Already forgiven," I said immediately. "Just promise to stop running. To trust me to know my own heart. To let us try again."
"No more running," she promised. "No more deciding for you. No more fear winning over love."
I kissed her again, deeper this time, trying to pour weeks of loneliness and want into the connection. She responded with equal desperation, hands fisting in my soaked shirt.
"You're really wet," she mumbled against my mouth.
"You're wearing my shirt," I countered, tugging at the Providence Bruins logo. "The one you stole weeks ago."
"Borrowed," she corrected. "And never gave back because it smells like you and I'm pathetic."
"You're perfect," I said, then proved it by kissing her until she couldn't argue.
When we finally broke apart, she took my hand. "Come on. You need dry clothes before you actually do get pneumonia."
"Is that your medical opinion?"
"That's my girlfriend opinion," she said, then froze. "I mean, if we're... Are we?"
"Gemma Spears," I said formally, "will you please be my girlfriend? Will you stop sacrificing yourself for my supposed good? Will you trust me to make my own choices? Will you let me love you without conditions or limits?"
"Yes," she whispered. "To all of it. Yes."
I spun her around the small living room, ignoring my protesting ribs and her startled laugh. "She said yes!"
"Put me down, you're injured!"
"Don't care," I said, but set her down anyway. "Too happy to feel pain."
We stood there grinning at each other like idiots, soaking wet and emotionally wrung out but together. Finally together with all cards on the table.
"I love you," she said simply. "No conditions. No sacrifices. Just love."
"I love you too," I replied. "Forever. Non-negotiably. Even when you're being a self-sacrificing martyr."
"Even when I make terrible decisions based on fear?"
"Especially then," I confirmed. "Though maybe fewer of those going forward?"
"I'll work on it," she promised. "Be patient with me? I'm new to unconditional love."
"We have time," I said, pulling her close again. "All the time in the world."
Later, after I'd changed into dry clothes and we'd curled together on her couch, she asked quietly, "What happens now?"
"Now?" I pressed a kiss to her temple. "Now we build the life we want. Together. Montreal for your medical school and my architecture classes. Mia visiting whenever she wants. Our ridiculous found family staying close. No more letting other people's opinions matter more than our happiness."
"It sounds perfect," she said softly. "Too perfect. I keep waiting for something to ruin it."
"Only thing that can ruin it is us," I pointed out. "And we're done with that. Right?"
