“Are you sure?” I whispered.
“I need to be here, now. Please let me finish. Then I will go if you want.” He rubbed a tear off my cheek. “I treated you so badly that night.” He crumpled, leaning against the wall as he slid to thefloor. I sat cross-legged in front of him. “I was scared. I was scared of who I was becoming. I was so angry at Cole.” His jaw clenched, and he put a fist to his forehead. “And when he turned his venom on you—” He looked at me, really looked at me. “I thought he was going to hurt you, and I saw red. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to hurt him.” His voice broke and his jaw tightened.
I saw Grant as a little boy with an angry father, a boy that wanted his father’s love and sought his approval so much that it ruled his life even now. My heart ached for him and the hurt he still carried.I reached over and rubbed the back of his hand.
He turned his palm and held my hand in his, staring at our touch.. “Then I watched you run away, saying you never wanted to see me again.” Tears ran down his face. “That moment was proof. I was just like my dad.” He shook his head. “A man I hated and vowed never to be.” He met my gaze, sad and broken. “I yelled at you and hurt you, just like he was always hurting my mom.” He wiped his tears. “At that moment, I hated everything about me. I still hate everything about me.” He crumpled further.
“Grant…”
I was starting to make peace with the decision that Grant wasn’t in my life anymore; this was not helping.
He gave me a sad smile. “I chose that day to change. I went to The Bees Knees twice, but couldn’t go in. My mom told me to order you cupcakes, but on the way to your place, I decided you were better off without me and threw them away. I felt like I didn’t deserve another chance.”
Aww, he came to see me and talked to his mom about me. I reached over and took his other hand, interlacing our fingers.
“When your mom brought me that box, I knew.” He pressed the back of my hand against his lips and leaned into the touch. “I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn’t at least try. Emma, can you forgive me? I don’t deserve another chance with you, but I can’t not try.”
My heart was racing, and I felt like I was going to cry. Thisbeautiful man wanted me and he loved me. I could see it in his eyes, in the way he was desperately trying to pull me closer. I stared at his lips.
I smiled at him, tears now running down my face as well. For a man of not many words, tonight he’d professed quite a bit.
I didn’t want the ending that I had written for us, I wanted a different one.
He was here right now, possibly at the cost of everything he cared about. He leaned, resting his forehead against mine with his eyes closed. “Mom suggested I go to therapy. I’m sure she’s right.”
The corner of my lips turned up in a smile. “Jane suggested therapy for me too.” I shrugged and ducked my head to make eye contact with him. “Grant, make sure.” I sighed. This was not how I planned on having this conversation, but I needed him to know. I leaned back so I could gather my thoughts. “I think I’m falling in love with you, so please…” My breath caught in my throat. “Please, don’t say things unless you are sure.”
His fingertips were under my chin, lifting my gaze to his. “Emma.” He scooted closer to me and ran his thumb down my face. “Emma, I’m in love with you.” His eyes locked on to mine. “I felt like I was drowning before I met you. Drowning in anger, emptiness, and grief.” His eyes brightened and he shook his head. “Then you came. This beautiful, strong, classy woman that turned my entire world upside down.” One side of his mouth pulled up in a grin, flashing that dimple that I had been desperately missing.
I bit my bottom lip as I stared up into his bright eyes.
“I love you.” He put his hands on the back of my neck. “If you don’t want to give me a second chance, I will walk away.” His voice broke as his eyes desperately searched mine. “But if you give me a second chance, I can’t wait to prove to you how I can be different. I can be better.”
“No more rules that I can’t help you at work?” My eyebrows raised. “This is a big part of your life and I want to be a part of it, when possible.”
“Deal.” He nodded. “I promise to never go a whole day without answering you. Communication isn’t a strong skill for me, but I will try.”
This man was flawed and broken, just like me but in different ways. Maybe together we could help fix some of the broken pieces we had hidden inside.
I held my hand out for him, and he placed his in mine. I stood and led him over to the couch. He touched my shoulder, and I turned to face him.
“Emma.” He stepped closer, his chest pressed up against mine. “I want to spend every second with you,” he whispered as he put his hand gently on the back of my neck, his thumb rubbing along my jaw. “I want to make you smile and tell you I love you over and over again.”
“Do you know if Peter added any cupcakes?” I parted my lips and winked.
He glanced at my lips. “I’m going to need an actual answer, Emma.” His smile was wicked. “I don’t want to overstep, and I’m seconds from pulling you into my arms and never letting you go. I have missed the way you fit into my arms, the way you fit into my heart.”
I went up on my tiptoes and brushed my lips over his neck. “Then, I guess maybe we won’t need the cupcakes after all,” I whispered.
He chuckled and leaned into my touch.
“I forgive you, Grant, and I think we should give us another try.”
He leaned back so his eager brown eyes could stare into mine. He rubbed his thumb along my cheek and one of his hands trailed down my back until it was on my waist. “Are you sure…”
I nodded, unable to contain my smile.
“In that case.” He quirked an eyebrow and pulled me tight against him and pressed his lips to mine.
