The intensity of his stare suggests I’m missing something.
His grey eyes pierce into me, and he moves even closer to my side.
“Kris, I’m a burden…”
“Georgie, these meetings are irrelevant. Nothing else is more important than me being here for you.”
“But your work…”
“Stop this,” he says, more sternly than before. “I’ll never be too busy for you, little one.” He reaches up and touches my face, his fingers brushing over my skin. It electrifies me, makes my heart race.
I stare into his eyes, and suddenly it’s so clear. Everything is so clear.
All this time, I’ve been denying it, trying to bury it, but seeing the intensity of his emotions in this moment—I simply can’t anymore.
I’m in love with him.
Deeply and utterly in love with him.
And in my fear, I’ve been pushing him away while he’s been trying to pull me closer. Why else would he put me first all the time? I’ve been so scared to face the pain of his rejection that I haven’t been honest with myself.
My heart leaps and spins with excitement, but all I can do is stare at him.
“Do you understand?” he asks.
“I think so,” I whisper, overwhelmed by my emotions.
“You look tired,” he remarks, frowning.
“I am. I’m going to rest a bit,” I nod, even though the last thing I could possibly do is sleep right now. I want a moment to myself to gather my thoughts and process.
“Alright. I am going to see what the chef has planned for dinner and make one or two calls. Just call my name if you need anything at all, and I’ll be here.”
“Thank you,” I smile, fighting the urge to leap out of the covers and wrap my hands around his neck to hug him.
Anxiety, nerves, excitement, and fear are mixed inside me like a firecracker waiting for a flame.
Kris leaves the room, and I’m alone with my thoughts.
A soft giggle slips from my lips. “All this time, you let your fear hold you back from something that could possibly be perfect,” I whisper. “You risked losing him, simply because you were scared of losing him.”
Reaching over, I grab my phone and toy with it in my hands. I don’t want to be scared anymore.
I dial Jess because she saw the truth before me. I want to tell her that she was right all along. And I want to talk to her about something else.
“Hi, you, how are you feeling?” she asks right away.
“Much better. And…I have so much to tell you…about…Kris…and me.” I stammer through the words.
“Is this my perfect opportunity to sayI told you so?” she asks, laughing.
I can’t help but laugh, too. “Yes, pretty much. I, um, I’m in love with your brother.” It feels so good to admit it. To finally let my heart feel it without holding back. It surges a beautiful energy through me, spreading a wide, happy smile across my face.
“This makes me so happy, Georgie. Have you told him? What did he say? I told you he feels the same way.”
“I haven’t told him yet. I wasn’tthatbrave,” I laugh. “Besides, before I do that, I think it’s more important to deal with another issue first.”
“What?” she asks, her voice filled with confusion.
