Page 94 of Gimme Some Sugar

“Likehell! Sloane, are you out of your fucking mind, letting him in?” Adrian shot a withering glance at Sloane, and the guy Jackson vaguely remembered as the suit from La Dolce Vita interjected a startledhey! But rather than back down, Sloane jammed her fists into her hips and replied with a stare that matched Adrian’s dagger for dagger.

“Watch it, Holt. I’m not an idiot. If he gets frisky, I’m sure you’ll take care of it,” she snapped.

“Oh, I’ll take care of it, all right, but I don’t need an excuse.”

Adrian stepped forward with clear intention, and Bellamy levered herself up from the couch, reaching for the clearly pissed-off sous chef, which in turn sent Shane into defensive motion at Jackson’s side.

Jackson made a last-ditch attempt to keep things semi-calm, stepping in the midst of everyone but still unable to see Carly herself. “I just want to talk to her. I don’t care if I have to do it right here, with every damn one of you between us.”

“Adrian, stop.”

Carly got to her feet, weaving through the people in the living room, and the sight of the angry purple bruise marking her cheekbone ripped through every ounce of Jackson’s soul.

But he wouldn’t leave. Not this time. Not unless she told him to.

Carly set her lips in a firm line and looked up at Adrian, who was the last person between her and Jackson. “If it’ll make you feel any better, we can do it Jackson’s way, with you standing between us. But I’d actually like to hear what he came to say.”

“Carly,” Adrian started, then shook his head. “I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?” Something strange blanketed his expression, a cross between realization and resignation, and Jackson exhaled in relief at her answer.

“No,gnoccone. Not this time.”

“Thank you,” Jackson said. A tender thread of hope pulled deep in his belly, but he stood firm, afraid to recognize the fragilewhat-if. “Look, I know I don’t have any right to ask you to hear me out. Believe me, I know that. But I owe you an explanation. And an apology. And…well, everything.”

A sliver of emotion streaked over Carly’s face before disappearing into her unreadable façade. “You don’t owe me anything, Jackson. You were right. What we had was a heat of the moment thing, and I turned it into something it wasn’t.”

“No, you didn’t,” Jackson fired back emphatically enough to make Adrian visibly stiffen, but no way was he backing down now. “You turned it into every amazing thing that it was, only I was too much of a thickheaded idiot to see it.”

Before he could stop it, the story of what his mother had told him last night in the garden started flowing out, filled in with the details of the childhood memories that still made bile churn deep in his belly.

“So, when I overheard you telling Adrian about the job in New York, I thought I could just let you walk away, and then you’d be safe. Only what I said ended up hurting you so much, and…” He hitched to a stop, sucking in a breath at the memory. “I never heard you come up behind me. It’s not an excuse, but it’s the truth. I turned around with the intention to say goodbye, but you were too close, and even though I knocked you down by complete accident, it doesn’t change the fact that I did it.”

“I know this was an accident, Jackson,” she whispered. “Of course it was.”

“Well, there’s more you should know.” He took a step toward her, locking his eyes on hers and pouring all of his emotion into the connection. “I thought letting you go home was the best way to keep you safe, that apologizing wasn’t enough. And it’s not, but I have to say it anyway. I’m sorry. I’msosorry for what I did to you. I’d do anything to take it back, Carly. You don’t have to forgive me, or say anything. But I never meant to hurt you, with what I said or what I did.”

“Did you mean any of it?” Carly’s expression never wavered, and his heart did its very best to hammer its way out of his ribcage.

“God, no. I love you. I’m totally, completely in love with you. If that means I have to move to New York to be with you, then that’s what I’ll do. Hell, I’d move to Timbuktu to be with you. I love you so much.”

A chirrup of surprise crossed her lips, and Jackson realized with a stab of anxiety that she was crying. Oh, no. No, no.

And then the most gorgeous smile he’d ever seen in his entire life turned the corners of her lips up, and he rushed forward just in time for her to fling her arms around his neck.

“I love you, too.” She buried her uninjured cheek in his shoulder, and the smell of honeysuckle and pure hope was so good, he wanted to drown in it. “I’m sorry that all of this happened, too, but I love you, Jackson. I love you.”

“Alrighty, people. Nothing to see here. Move along, now.” Sloane wiped her face with the back of her hand before shooing everyone toward the front of the bungalow, and it was only then that Jackson remembered the five other people in the room. Everyone complied save Adrian, and Jackson eased back from Carly as the big guy crossed his arms over his chest with a hard stare.

“If this ever changes, we’re going to finish what we started, you and I.”

Jackson nodded. “And if it doesn’t?”

“I’ll get used to you. Eventually. Just don’t fuck it up.” Adrian lifted an eyebrow at Carly in one last wordless exchange before walking through the door.

“I won’t,” Jackson murmured, bending low to kiss the top of Carly’s head. “I know it’s going to take a while to earn your trust back, Carly, but I meant what I said. I’ll do whatever it takes.” He paused. “I guess I should probably let my family know I’ll be leaving.” The thought of moving away from Pine Mountain sent a pang through his gut, but it was nothing compared to the thought of living without Carly.

She drew back with a quick curve of her lips. “It’s only a couple of days, Jackson. Although I’d love it if you’d come with me anyway.”

“What are you talking about? Bellamy’s text said you were leaving for New York tomorrow,” Jackson stammered.

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