Page 44 of Where We Belong

Cory: I’m here for you if you need anything.

Ben: I only need you.

Cory: I want to believe you, but…

Ben: You don’t have to believe me. I plan on showing you. Hope you’re ready for it, talk to you later.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Cory

Around six o’clock, my phone chimes with a text from Ben. He wants me to meet him on the roof of the bar. I breathe a sigh of relief that he didn’t summon me all the way to the man cave in San Francisco.

Don’t get me wrong, the rooftop has been not only a hangout spot for my brothers, but also a romantic rendezvous location for them and their wives over the years. Soft lights and greenery transform the space into an urban oasis. The glittering bay at sunset is a sight to behold.

When I step out onto the rooftop, the soft amber glow of the setting sun paints the sky with a delicate blend of orange and pink, casting a warm hue over the sprawling vineyards below. Paradise Bay might be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s a breathtaking sight from up here, atop the bar’s roof, where Ben has set up a scene straight out of a rom-com.

Candlelight flickers gently across the space. Ben turns from where he’s leaning on the railing, the dancing flames accentuating his athletic frame. He smiles softly, eyes crinkling at the corners, and my breath catches at how irresistible he looks. Down girl, I mentally chide my raging hormones. But the butterflies in my stomach don’t seem to care. A part of me is ready to jump him.

As I take it all in, Ben watches me, his warm green eyes searching for mine.

“It’s enchanting,” Iadmit in a hushed voice, lost in the moment and his eyes.

He steps slightly closer to me, the corners of his eyes crinkling with his smile. “I wanted tonight to be special, the first of many.”

I raise an eyebrow, aiming for a teasing tone to lighten the suddenly charged atmosphere. “I didn’t know you had such a romantic side. So how did you pull this off?”

Ben winks. “I have my secrets.”

“Huxley?” I dare to ask.

He laughs, the rich sound sending a thrill through me. “Nope.”

I tap my chin, trying to figure out who could’ve possibly helped him pull this off. I doubt it was Atzi. She’s all the way in Mexico. There’s Fern, who… is too busy with the twins and the gala.

“I actually hired a company to handle all this,” he answers me as he gestures around us. “I don’t know how they work their magic, but they set everything up. What do you think?”

“It’s perfect,” I say honestly.

Ben moves even nearer, his spicy, masculine scent enveloping me. “I’m not looking to be perfect, just to love you the best way I can.”

My heart melts at his words. Though part of me wants to keep making him work for my forgiveness, I know I can’t keep stringing him along indefinitely. I should tell him now that I love him, and all I wanted is for him to give me his heart. What would I accomplish if I kept my heart locked until I made him suffer for everything he did?

I’d probably be no different from his family, who never loved him and always made him feel like an outsider. Holding back now isn’t going to take us anywhere, will it?

Earlier today, Atzi called me. She told me about the conversation Ben had with Heath. My brother isn’t happy, but if Benedict makes me happy, he’ll support this relationship. If not, he’ll kill him with his own hands—Atzi’s words.

“We could make this work,” Ben suddenly whispers with the softest voice I’ve heard him using in a long time. “I promise we really could.”

I smile at him because I see it, the fear, and the vulnerability in his green eyes. The wall he’s put between us is gone, and now I can see the one thing he hid from me, his heart. I wonder if hiding himself had been necessary. For a second, I wonder what would’ve happened if he had told me how he felt all those years ago.

“What are you thinking?” he asks with a trembling voice.

“What would’ve happened if you had taken the leap before today—maybe when you kissed me?”

The corner of his lip lifts slightly, and he shakes his head. “I don’t have an answer for you, though. It could’ve worked perfectly fine, or I would’ve fucked up like the rest of my siblings. We weren’t taught how to love, only to destroy.”

I finally walk closer to him and put a hand on his chest. “Your heart was made to love.”

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