“She’s a lucky girl.” Georgina backed away slowly. “Can you watch Bruno while Ipay?”
“Ofcourse.”
While she was at the counter, I scratched Bruno’s chest. “You gave us a good scare, you brute,” I said. “Your mom was pretty upset. And me too. I was just getting to knowyou.”
Bruno whined and put his paw on myknee.
I glanced back at reception and Georgina was staring at us, pen in hand, as if she’d turned to stone in the middle of paperwork. Maybe filling it out was too much, and she needed my help. This was what life was about—showing up for the people you cared about when things weren’tpretty.
Because fuck, I didn’t know when it’d happened or how, but Ididcare abouther.
Maybe even more thanthat.
When she’d resumed the paperwork, I walked Bruno across the street to a patch of grass, assuming he hadn’t been out lately. Once he’d relieved himself, we started back and found Georgina out front, watching us from thecurb.
“You all right?” I asked her, crossing the street to stand in front ofher.
Her hand rested over her heart. With a thick voice, she said, “Ilovethe way you are withhim.”
Relief filtered through me, and I loosened the grip I’d had on Bruno’s leash. Maybe I was reading into it, but it almost seemed like her way of saying she lovedme. Or could love me. Whatever had transpired over the last twenty-four hours, she hadn’t given up onus.
“Earlier, I said you could’ve called me for help,” I said. “What I meant was that Iwishyou’d called me, Georgina. I want to be there for you—both ofyou.”
She pulled my blazer closed around her. I should’ve brought her a damn sweatshirt instead of a useless bunch of roses. “You were right this afternoon,” she said. “By trying not to fall into old patterns, I overcorrected and pushed youaway.”
“I know, but I’m not going anywhere. See?” Behind her, the hospital’s neon sign buzzed. The automatic doors opened for a woman in scrubs. “I’mhere.”
“I can’t tell you what that means tome.”
“Don’t tell me,” I murmured. On the curb, in her heels, she was tall enough that I wouldn’t have to bend to kiss her. Did I have to wait any longer? “Showme.”
She glanced at the ground. “Who would’ve thought, all those weeks ago, that you and I would be standinghere?”
“Not me, but if I weren’t here, I’d either be at the office, home by myself, or enduring some insufferable club with Justin.” I reached out, took her hand, and kissed her palm. “That’s an elaborate way of saying, bad circumstances aside, there’s nowhere else I’d ratherbe.”
She threw her arms around my neck and buried her face in my collar. “Meneither.”
“So let me take you home and wake up with you tomorrow.” I rubbed her back, unfazed by her sobs. IfI’dhad an exhausting day, I couldn’t imagine how hers must’ve been. “After such a short time, your apartment feels more like a home to me than my own,” I whispered to her. “What does thatsay?”
She pulled back, keeping her palms on my chest as if she might pull me in for a kiss at any moment. “Sebastian—”
“Don’t fight me anymore. Don’t tell me all the reasons you think we can’t make thiswork.”
She shook her head. “I’m out of reasons. I want you. You, me, Bruno and Opal—I want that so much. Iseeit. But not in myapartment.”
“Where then?” I asked, thumbing away a tear as it slid over her cheek. I wasn’t fool enough to deny heranything.
“My boss called me earlier tonight about a promotion.” She sniffled, her eyes sparkling with tears. “I’d be really good at it, Sebastian. We’re opening a new branch, and I’d get to run it. Choose clients, build a team, call the shots. It encompasses all the things I love about my job now, but it’s a step up and it’smore.”
After the angry, not to mention false, things I’d said that morning, there was only one response to that. “Sounds like a no-brainer. If it excites you, accept the promotion. You’ll killit.”
Her eyes drifted to the knot of my tie. “It’s not in NewYork.”
Fuck.She wasleaving?
Not just the job, but thestate?
I sucked in a breath. I’d readied myself to support her no matter what. I’d steeled myself to combat any excuse she might give me for us not towork.
