I arrived at Ina’s building with two minutes to spare. Abby had given me her key earlier that day. My biggest obstacle had become my best ally. I let myself into the apartment.
It felt wrong, preparing to ambush Ina, but Abby had insisted this was romantic and not creepy. I hoped so. There was a thin line between grand gesture and grand jury, and I didn’t want to end up on the wrong side of it.
I waited in the living room, pacing, rehearsing what I was going to say. I didn’t want to make the same mistake as the last time I’d shown up here. Abby had called me out on not being ready, so today I was prepared.
I heard footsteps on the stairs mingling with female voices. The door opened.
Ina walked in, saw me, and immediately turned to leave.
“No,” Abby said, blocking the doorway. “You don’t run away from your feelings.”
“Abby, he broke into our apartment. We need to call the police.”
“No, I gave him my key,” Abby said quickly.
“You let him in? You gave him a key?”
I stayed silent.
Abby nodded. “I did. And you’re going to hear him out.”
“I don’t want to hear him out,” Ina said firmly. “I want him to leave.”
“Even after the Times Square thing?” Abby crossed her arms. “You can at least hear the man out. No harm in that.”
Ina looked between us, torn between curiosity and anger. “Fine,” she said finally. “But you’re staying too.”
“No way. This is between you two.” Abby grabbed her bag. “I’m going to the restaurant. Don’t call me unless someone’s bleeding.”
She left, and suddenly it was just Ina and me in her tiny apartment.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Ina said, not looking at me.
“I know. But I needed to see you. I needed to say I’m sorry.”
“So say it.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get my head out of my ass. I was scared. I will forever be sorry for hurting you.” I moved closer, but she stepped back. “Ina, you terrified me.”
“Because you could lose your company?” Her voice was sharp and full of accusation.
“No.” I shook my head. “Because I could lose you.”
She looked away but not before I saw the flash of pain in her eyes.
I kept going, the words pouring out now that I’d started. “You changed everything for me. Abby called me a calculator with a nice car, and she wasn’t far off.”
Ina tilted her head. “When did she say that?”
I smiled. “The other day when I came over to talk to you and she roasted the shit out of me. I mean, I deserved it, but she all but fileted me in your hallway.”
“She said you told her all the reasons you love me,” she said, not meeting my gaze.
I gently cupped her chin to lift her gaze to mine. “And now I want to tell you all those reasons.”
Ina raised a brow at me. “This better be good.”
“Before you, I looked forward going into the office to work. The job was my bride and the app was my child. Then you showed up and I started looking forward going into the office to see you.”
