Page 98 of More Than Words
She chuckled a little.“You know, beer usually isn’t my favorite.”
“That’s why I brewed this one,” I told her.“Just for you.”
She couldn’t keep the surprise off her face.“For me.”
“Well, more like forus.” I pointed to the new tap and the name that had been engraved on it.
Delaney leaned over to read it.“Chapter One?”She looked at me in question.
I held my breath for a moment before blowing it out.“As in,ourchapter one,” I told her.“Because there’ll be many more chapters for us to write.Together.”Her face changed, but I kept talking.“I mean, obviously I hope there’ll be more chapters.”I shrugged and forced myself to stop trying to overexplain.“Like I said, I’ve been working on it for a while.Before, I…well, before I screwed it all up.”
Her eyes met mine.
“I should have told you about it earlier.I should have shown you.I should have—” I stopped and forced myself to slow down.“I should have done a lot of things, Delaney.The truth is, I wasn’t paying attention when it mattered most.”I took a chance and reached for her hand.
She didn’t immediately pull away, which I took to be a good sign.
“I know I hurt you because you thought I didn’t consider you.And you’re right,” I added quickly before she could interject.“Ididn’t.Not in that moment.And that was not okay.I’m so sorry for that.I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make that right.”I squeezed her hand.“But I need you to know that Idoconsider you.From the moment you walked into this brewery when it was little more than an old Chinese food restaurant full of dust and mess, I have considered you.”
Her chin trembled slightly.
“You’re in every plan I make.Every moment of my day.My every thought and feeling.Sometimes I think that you areallI consider.And I hope like hell that you will accept my apology for not showing up for you when you needed me to.”I looked into her eyes.“Please believe me when I tell you that I will spend from now until the end of time trying to make it up to you if you let me.”
I blew out a breath.Finished.
Delaney didn’t speak right away.
Her eyes searched mine, as if she were trying to see whether the words I’d just spoken were real or another charm-laced, meaningless promise.
But I didn’t look away.I couldn’t.I needed her to believe that I meant what I said.All of it and so much more.
Delaney
His hand was warm in mine.It felt like an anchor keeping me from floating away.
It was the tether to reality I needed, because in that moment, nothing seemed real anymore.
The counter.
The beer.
The setup on the floor just like our first night together.
The way he was looking at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.
It was too much and exactly enough all at the same time.
“You really brewed a beer for us?”I asked softly.
“I did.”
“And you commissioned a front counter for me.”
A small smile twitched at the corner of his lips.“I’m going to owe Reid for a long time for that one.”
I wanted to smile, too.But I was still so unsure.“Thank you,” I said quietly.“For listening.For noticing.”
“Of course.”Ethan squeezed my hand.“I couldn’t help but notice that rickety counter.”He laughed a little.“You deserved so much more.Youdodeserve so much more.”
