Page 121 of Never With You
“It’s you,” I whisper, still in shock.
He brushes a strand of hair back from my face, caressing my cheek with his finger. “It’s me.”
I shake my head in disbelief, fighting the tears that threaten to fall.
Nate’s hands go to my waist, tugging me to him. “Are you disappointed?”
Laughter bubbles out of me. “I’ve never been happier.”
Without hesitation, he pulls me into his arms, hugging me tightly.
And we laugh.
I cry and laugh, but mostly just laugh withjoy.
Joy is a different kind of happiness. It’s deeper and more lasting. An internal feeling of peace and contentment. It’s not just about feeling good in the moment; it’s about something more steady and fulfilling. And it’s that feeling of joy that makes me realize I’m in love with Nate Farnsworth.
I think my heart always knew it would fall for him. He captivated me from the first day I walked into Voyager Travel, but my mind wasn’t ready yet. So the universe gradually brought us together until I was finally healed from Isaac and truly okay with being every different version of myself around him. Until I could stand here in his arms and not push him away or fight him.
Until I was no longer scared.
“I’ve been dying to tell you,” he says into my ear, and that’s when the flood of questions comes.
I pull back. “How long have you known?”
“Only a couple of days. Phi Phi Islands, when you talked aboutThe Price Is Right.”
“That’s why you went weird?”
“Yeah, it was a big shock, and then I got sick, but by the time I woke up with you in my arms the next morning, I knew.” He places a soft kiss on my forehead. “I knew I didn’t want to be without you. I just had to convince you too.”
“I think I was already convinced.”
“No, you were sure about Mr. International, but you weren’t sure about Nate Farnsworth.”
A smile spreads across my mouth. “I was more sure than I led on. I just didn’t want to admit it to anyone…even myself.”
He smiles too before leaning down and kissing me. It’s a different kind of kiss than we’ve shared before. It’s full of happiness, hope, and the possibility of a future.
He stops abruptly, holding my face in his hands. “And I don’t want you to be worried about work. I’m not Isaac, and I won’t?—”
I cut off his words with another quick kiss. “I know,” I mumble against his mouth. “You’re not Isaac. And if we can work this long together while hating each other, I’m sure we can figure out how to work together while liking each other.”
“Except, I don’t just like you, Carly.” His eyes stare deeply into mine. “I think I love you.”
I smile bigger than I have in my entire life. “I think I might just love you too.”
We both laugh again between kisses.
This is the most unexpected thing.
My office enemy—who was secretly my pen pal—has now become someone I love.
It’s going to take some time for my head to process all of that.
But I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.
I wanted it to be Nate.
