Page 67 of Falling for You
“Can you please paint the whole picture for me, please? Because where I’m standing, you’ve been keeping a pretty big secret from your past. I want us to be honest with each other, CeCe.”
Finally, CeCe stood and stepped closer. Evan wasn’t ready to touch her yet, so he took a step back. CeCe licked her lips before speaking. “I’m sorry. It sounds lame now, but I am. I should have realized you could handle the truth. And we’ve talked about this. I don’t see you as some kid. You’re so much more, and I should have trusted you with the truth. I should have trusted you with the pain of it all.”
Banging a hand on his chest, he continued. “But do you see how this made me look? How this made me feel? Damn it, CeCe. I’m in love with you! I want to tell you everything, share everything. I feel like I’m out here on a ledge alone sometimes. If you’re in pain, no matter from what, I want to know. I want to help.”
CeCe covered her heart with her hands, her voice shaking as she spoke. “You’re not alone. I know it’s cold comfort now, but keeping this secret has been eating me up for weeks. I wanted to tell you, really, I did. I just didn’t want to bring Eric and all of that drama into what we have. I was afraid it would taint what we’ve built together, and I couldn’t stand that. I’m not saying I was still in love with Eric, but I was still carrying around a lot of the guilt and hurt from that breakup.”
Evan rubbed the back of his neck, keeping his eyes down. “But I want to help carry your burdens. I want to be your partner.”
“I want that too. I meant every word I said to your parents and to Eric.”
“Eric’s a creep!” Evan exclaimed. “He’s an abuser who deserves a lot more than he’s getting now. Losing his career is only the beginning of what he deserves.” Evan balled his fist, flexing his fingers until he shoved his hands in his pockets. “You shouldn’t be afraid to share pain like that. It’s why I’m here. I want to help.”
“You do help, more than you know. Evan, these last few months have been the best of my life. I didn’t realize I could be with someone without giving up a piece of myself. Please, you have to forgive me for lying. I know now that I wasn’t protecting you. I was hurting you.”
After another long exhale, Evan finally looked up to meet CeCe’s gaze. He inventoried every detail on her face, from the sparkle of tears in her big eyes to the way her blonde locks shone in the sunlight. He loved this woman with a fierceness that scared him, and he wasn’t willing to let her go.
“You haven’t had to rely on people for a while, but do you think you could lean on me? CeCe, I want to be with you.”
A single tear slid down her cheek as she crept closer to Evan. “You do?”
Sniffling, Evan fought back his own tears. “Well, duh.” He laughed through the tightening of his throat. “I’m sorry I ran away without letting you explain. I realize that was a childish thing to do, and I hate myself for it.”
CeCe reached out her hand and traced a line along Evan’s wrist. He shivered with the contact and watched her eyes dilate. “Your reaction made perfect sense, given the situation. Don’t apologize for that.” She hesitated before asking. “Does this mean you’ll give me another chance?”
Evan sighed, feeling his nerves on edge. “CeCe, I’ll give you a thousand chances. I love you, and I want to be with you through everything.”
“I love you too,” she whispered, sliding her fingers down and taking his hand in hers. “I’ve loved you for a while.”
A smile tugged at Evan’s lips. “You have?”
“Yeah, but I was a little too proud to admit it.” She winked at him and Evan couldn’t wait another minute. He closed the distance between them, drawing her lips to his. He kissed her with everything he had, hoping to convey all his emotions, apologies, and hopes.
Evan kissed CeCe like a drowning man, coming up for gulps of air to keep himself afloat. “I love you, CeCe. I won’t embarrass you by saying how long.” They both chuckled as he cupped her face in his hands. “But I’ll say I love you a little more after watching you with my parents. That took a lot of guts, and I don’t think anyone has ever stood up for me like that.”
“I know they’re your parents, but I had to say something. You’re a good man, Evan. It was high time someone gave you the credit you deserve.”
CeCe’s words pushed Evan over the edge, and he felt a fresh stream of tears. Not knowing what to say, he pulled CeCe back to him and kissed her forehead. They stood in silence for a moment until the sound of applause filtered out behind them.
“We should probably get inside and see if we won this damn thing,” he offered, even though he didn’t want to break apart.
CeCe kissed him again and nodded. “You’re right. I want to be there for the results, especially since Max is certain we’re going to win.”
Evan looped CeCe’s arm in his and steered her toward the exhibit hall. “Frankly, I don’t care if we win or lose. I feel like I’ve already won.”
“That’s a pretty cheesy line, even for you.” She winked.
“Get ready, because I’ve got more where that came from.”
As they walked toward their competition fate, Evan knew it really didn’t matter what happened. He had his dream girl on his arm and he’d proven to himself that he could craft recipes worthy of competition. Evan learned all he needed to know that day. He was simply ready to see what came next.
