The room erupts in whoops and cheers.
His hands come up to cup my face, and he kisses me back with everything he has. When we finally break apart, both breathing hard, his forehead drops to mine.
“Does this mean…”
“It means we figure this out,” I say. “Together. Like you said.”
He pulls me close, burying his face in my hair. I can feel him shaking, or maybe that’s me. Maybe it’s both of us.
“I love you, Sunshine,” he murmurs into my ear and it melts my heart.
I pull back to look at him then lower my voice. “But I swear, if you ever keep something like this from me again.”
“I won’t.” His eyes are fierce, certain. “No more secrets. No more protecting you by shutting you out. Whatever comes next, we face it together.”
“Promise?”
“On everything I am.”
Vivi appears beside us, tears streaming down her face, and throws her arms around both of us. “I knew it,” she sobs. “I knew you two would work it out.”
“Did you?” I laugh through my own tears. “Because I wasn’t sure until about thirty seconds ago.”
“I had faith.” She pulls back, dabbing at her mascara. “Now go. Get out of here. The press is going to swarm any second, and you two need to be alone.”
She’s right. I can already see reporters pushing through the crowd, microphones extended.
Griffin takes my hand. “Come with me?”
“Where?”
“Anywhere. Everywhere.” He squeezes my fingers. “Home.”
Home. Such a simple word for something so enormous.
“Yeah,” I say. “Let’s go home.”
We push through the crowd together, Griffin’s arm around my waist, my heart fuller than it’s been in five years. The press shouts questions. Cameras flash. Charleston’s gossip mill kicks into overdrive.
I don’t care.
For the first time in five years, everything feels right.
CHAPTER 16
GRIFFIN
EPILOGUE
The physical is tomorrow.
I should be nervous. My entire career depends on whether my knee can handle the stress tests, but all I can think about is Jess.
We’ve been inseparable since the gala. The press went wild with the story.Disgraced quarterback vindicated, star-crossed lovers reunited, a confession makes national headlines.For a few days, we couldn’t go anywhere without cameras following us.
We didn’t care.
We spent those days hiding out in my house. We were wrapped up in each other and making up for lost time. We talked about everything… the fear, the loneliness, and the moments when we almost gave up. I took my sunshine and we built something new on the foundation of what we almost destroyed.
