Page 77 of Surrender
And then, giving them the space they needed, she walked away.
He gave her a quick hug, then turned and hurried to Gwen.
The dining room was quiet—just one table lit with a single candle. Its flame flickered, casting golden light over Gwen’s face. It reflected in her eyes, soft and warm.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi. Where is everyone?”
“Sophie threw them out. Put up the closed sign.”
He nodded slowly, a wry smile tugging at his mouth. “How are you?”
“You mean since I broke your heart?”
He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at her—like he wasn’t quite sure she was real. Like he’d been living half-alive since the day she left, and now he wasn’t sure if this was a dream he’d wake up from.
“Yeah,” he said finally. “That’s what I mean.”
Gwen swallowed hard. “I didn’t leave because I stopped loving you.”
“I know.” His voice cracked, and he hated that it did. “But you still left.”
“Because Sophie hated me. And I couldn’t stand being the reason there was tension between you two. I know how close you are. I felt like I was splitting you in half just by being here.”
Keefe’s jaw tensed, but his eyes stayed locked on hers. “You weren’t. You didn’t. Sophie was angry, yeah. But you weren’t the one driving the wedge. That was her choice, not yours.”
“It didn’t feel that way.”
He stepped closer. “You left to protect something that didn’t need protecting. We’re adults, Gwen. Sophie and I... we’ll always be siblings. But you? You’re more than that. You’re the person I want a life with. And I needed you to fight for us, not walk away.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “I didn’t think I had the right.”
“You always did.”
Her voice was quiet, but steady. “I didn’t know what else to do. It felt like everything I touched was falling apart and I thought stepping away was the least selfish thing I could do.”
“It wasn’t,” he said, taking a step closer. “But I know why you did it.”
Her chin trembled but she held her tears back. “I missed you.”
“I’ve been missing you every damn second.”
Another step. They were inches apart now.
“Are we... are we really doing this?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
Keefe reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her cheek. “If you’re here to say goodbye again, I can’t do it. But if you’re here to stay—just say the word and I’ll never let you walk out again.”
Her eyes filled, but the tears didn’t fall. She smiled instead—slow and sure. “I’m here to stay.” Now her tears fell.
That was all it took.
He pulled her into him and kissed her—firm, desperate, and full of everything he hadn’t been able to say since the day she left. She melted into him like she never wanted to be anywhere else. And she didn’t—not now, not ever again.
When they finally pulled apart, breathless and grinning like idiots, Gwen tilted her head.
“So... does this mean I get a burger? I heard something about you serving me food then taking me home.”
