Page 136 of Tate
Glo had already turned and headed up the escalator.
“Gloria!”
Tate was standing outside the ballroom with Scarlett and Ford, and she took off running.
Tate looked up just in time to catch her up. “Babe.”
“Not one more second,” she said, pulling him tight against her. “Not one more second without you.”
“I agree,” he said. “I agree.” He set her down, catching her face in his hands, those devastating blue eyes holding her. “I completely panicked when Sloan… Scarlett said he proposed?”
“Yeah. And for a second, I thought…this is all I could hope for. A pseudo-happy ending doing what I should, but not what I wanted. And I stood there, and I thought…no. I wanted to wait for the song. For?—”
“One True Heart.”
She nodded. “And then I saw you standing there and…I knew I didn’t want anything but the real thing.”
“It is the real thing, Glo. I love you so much…I’d?—”
“Die for me. I know.”
“Or live. Whatever it takes to keep my promises.”
His promises. “I don’t know why you love me, Tate. But it’s enough that you do.”
“I do love you. And I know you’re destined for amazing things. In and out of the limelight—whatever. I just want to be there, on the sidelines. Being the one who keeps you alive.”
In spirit and body. Lighting her fire.
Yes.
“Forgive me for walking away from you, Glo. It was impulsive and prideful, and I should have told your mother that I was staying?—”
“No. I should have gone with you. You’re not trouble, Tate. You’re…brave. And you’ve got such an amazing heart and frankly, I need a guy who isn’t afraid of a little trouble.”
He drew his thumb down her cheek and was bending to kiss her—yes, please—when Ford came up.
“You guys ready to go?”
“In a minute. I need to put my mother’s mic away and grab my bag.” She met Tate’s eyes. “Want to come with me?”
He glanced at Ford. “Yes. Alone.”
Ford rolled his eyes.
“Nez just arrived,” Scarlett said. “And the San Diego bomb squad is coming in to sweep the building.”
“The police are evacuating the building so don’t take your time,” Ford said to Tate, but he winked at Glo.
Yeah, she could get used to being part of the Marshall family.
She led the way to the greenroom/VIP suite where the campaign team had gathered before the event, not sure how much she should tell Tate about Sloan.
She’d seen enough violence for today.
“Who did you say put that mic on your mother?”
Glo pulled out her access card as they reached the door.
