It was Guy’s turn to get pissed. He screwed up his face, incredulous. He pinched the bridge of his nose like he was trying to gain his composure, but failed.
“Take a fucking guess, Kitty!” Guy burst out, breathing heavily after the statement. His hands were thrown wide, practically filling the whole sidewalk. His eyes searched mine. “It was for you. Everything, all of it. It’s for you. Every woman I slept with, I wished she was you. I watched your show every week just to see you. Branson made me get help because I was still a wreck over you three years later. I was ready to move here for you. But I realized how crazy it was to run after a woman who was very publicly dating someone else. So I stayed.”
I didn’t know what to say. “Guy.”
He rubbed a hand over his eyes, scratching the stubble on his chin. He looked at me, waiting for whatever I was going to say. I pried his hand off his face and took the other one as well.
“I was a mess without you, too. The first guy I kissed, I cried so hard Mikey thought he’d done something bad to me. Almost beat the poor guy up. And the sex, forget it. No one is you. And no one makes me feel the way you do.”
Guy wasn’t having my shit. His features were scrawled with hurt. “But you had a boyfriend. A serious relationship.”
“I did. I didn’t know if you and I would ever get a chance again. But it’s over now. It’s been over. And I never stopped loving you, all that time. I just didn’t know what to do about it.”
I shook his hands so he’d meet my eyes again.
“I love you, Guy.” Guy’s eyes rounded, brow furrowed. “Like really love you.”
I didn’t have to wonder if he’d remember that those were the words he’d first used with me, and then I used with him. I knew he did. He nodded, a tiny smile curving his lips.
“I know, sweetheart. That’s why I’m here.”
Everything shifted at that moment. He loved me. He knew Iloved him. I knew it but had been hiding from it and stuffing it away. He was there to remind me that I loved him. To bring me home to him.
I was stunned.
He studied me for a long time as the realization worked over me, then squeezed my hands. “Wanna go get ice cream?”
Chapter 36
Guy
I actually made her get ice cream. It wasn’t like her ice cream question the night before.
We walked the High Line and chatted, stealing licks off each other’s cones. Kitty got strawberry and coffee flavor like an anarchist alien, and I got mint chocolate chip like a civilized person. It was hot as shit, and we saw a piragua guy, so we stopped for one of those, too. We shared a lime flavor. Kitty accused me of sucking all the juice out through that tiny little straw they give you.
Kitty had relaxed since our argument after lunch. In fact, she was downright lovey dovey. Despite the heat, she held my hand and leaned into me whenever she could. We wandered in and out of shops. We took silly pictures and just enjoyed each other. It was almost magical.
She stopped me and examined my face. “I think you’re starting to burn, Guy. I probably am, too.”
“Wanna go inside somewhere?”
“I’m kinda thinking I need a nap. I need to be sharp for my show. It’ll take us a while to get back to my hotel, so we’d better get going.”
“I’ve got a better plan,” I said. I pulled out my phone to look up a location. “Can you make it another .2 miles?”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” I said.
As we walked into the Ritz-Carlton, Kitty was confused. “Are you trying to use their bathroom or something?”
“No, I’m buying you a nap.”
“Guy!” she chided me as we walked to the front desk. I ignored her.
“Hi there,” I said sweetly to the woman behind the desk. “What’s your hourly rate?”
“Oh my God,” Kitty mumbled.
