Page 49 of The Billionaire's Commitment

“How could we not?” Eric countered.

“I haven’t truly decided that yet. I’m not sure what I want to do or if she would even want to. I keep hoping she’s going to fall in love with New York as much as I have and I won’t have to make that decision.”

“Do you really think that’s going to happen? Do you honestly see yourself buying an apartment or a house in the city and raising kids here?” Eric asked.

“Yes. Well, I hadn’t thought that far. It’s where you guys are.”

“You’re a country kid; you always have been. I don’t think you want to go back to Oregon and work on your parents' farm, but you aren’t city material. You’re having a good time in the city, but it isn’t for you. Not long term,” Logan said.

“What about you two? Are you going to stay?” I asked.

“Wherever Grace is, that’s where I am,” Eric said.

“Amber’s life is here, so that’s where I’m going to stay. If she got a job in Africa and wanted to move there, I would. You’re the same way. Zoey isn’t going to want to stay here any more than you really do.”

“It would be so hard and weird to leave you two, especially with everything that’s going on,” I admitted.

“Finding Lauren’s killer was what brought me here, but it isn’t what is keeping me here. I do want to see Denton pay for what he did, and hopefully, he will. I don’t know if that will happen. I’ve learned to not dwell on that. Life is meant to be lived, and I’m going to do that. I can’t hide in the past, not anymore,” Eric said.

“Just like you can’t hide behind us and the thought that we need you,” Logan added to me.

“I’m not hiding, and I never thought you needed me,” I said.

“Of course we needed you. This place wouldn’t have done as well as it has without you doing everything that you’ve done. It doesn’t mean you can’t still do all the things you do, just not in the city. We can figure it out if we need to. You needed us as much as we needed you. You were happy working in the bar as it gave you a chance to just be, to figure out what you were going to do next. Now you know what it is, or who it’s going to be with, you don’t need us anymore. Just like us.”

“Are you implying we were all just sitting around waiting for the right woman to come along?” I asked.

“You weren’t?” Logan teased.

“I certainly never thought that Zoey would walk into my bar. I never would have thought that in a million years.”

“Yet, you’re glad she did, and you can’t imagine your life without her now,” Eric said.

“No, I can’t.”

“Then go and talk to her, tell her everything. I know the money doesn’t mean much to you, and it probably won’t to her, but she needs to know. She needs to know all of you. You need to show her that you’re willing to give her everything that you have to offer her and more. It’s the only way she’s going to know that you're serious. “

“What if she freaks out and runs in the other direction?” I asked.

“Do you really think she’s going to do that?” Eric asked.

“I don’t know. I hope not. We might have known each other for a while, but this is still new, us being involved. She knew me as a simple kid in Oregon. She may not like the idea that I have so much money I never need to work again.”

“Or she might like it,” Eric said.

“You won’t know until you ask her, and until you do, you’re going to be in this limbo. You have to figure out what you want. Do you want to be with her, truly be with her, like you are all in, or are you going to keep her off to the side?”

“I want to be all in with her,” I said.

“Yeah, we knew that. So do it,” Eric said.

“Okay,” I said.

Eric and Logan looked at me when I didn’t make a move to leave. “Oh, you meant now?” I asked.

“No time like the present,” Eric said.

“I need to check out the lights for the stage,” I said.

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