“Oh?” She tilted an eyebrow.
I pressed my hand to the small of her back, ushering her to the sofa. Once we sat down, I took her hands in mine. Her face was painted in apprehension and worry. I didn’t want to prolong the wait, knowing Layla was probably assuming theworst. Like that I was going to leave her to join a circus made entirely of my exes.
“I decided not to take the Mayo Clinic position.”
Layla’s eyes flared in horror, and she pulled her hands back from mine like they were on fire. “What?”
“I informed them this afternoon that I was staying in New York.” My throat worked around the admission. “I told them the truth. That I now have a partner and a baby on the way, and that leaving you behind, or even for the length of the work week, is not something I am willing to contemplate doing.”
Layla paled, the blood draining from her face. I had the acute feeling she was going to get the mental breakdown she’d so desired when I’d arrived home. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.
“No, Grant, you can’t do that.”
“I think I can.” I squinted, confused. “And I’m basing this on the evidence that Idid.”
“You don’t understand.” She stood up swiftly, wiping her sweaty hands over her dress, pacing back and forth. “You cannot give up your dream job for me. Can’t you see? This will make me the Connor in our relationship. You’ll be giving up a part of yourself, for me. You can’t do that. Youhaveto go. We’ll make it work. You’ll be here every weekend. And once the baby’s immune system grows stronger, I’ll visit too. We’resogood together—you said it yourself. We’ll make it through—”
“The decision has nothing to do with you,” I said, cutting her off. “I mean, obviously, it has everything to do with you. I can’t stay away from you. But I’m not doing it solely foryou. I’m doing this for me. For us. And, yes, for the two people who mean the most to me, even though they haven’t asked for it—you and George. This has nothing to do with the way Connor treated you. You lost the weight becauseConnorwanted youto. You ended friendships because he made you do it. You never asked me for anything. Not one thing, Layla.” I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging it in frustration. “Hell, you didn’t even take it for granted that I’d be a part of the baby’s life, or that I’d contribute to raising it financially. Everything I’ve given you was out of my own free will. You’re the opposite of your ex-boyfriend. And so am I.”
She stopped pacing and turned to look at me, the light dimming further in her blue eyes. “Even if that’s true, I cannot stomach the idea that you’ll be giving this up for us.”
“It was an easy decision to make.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you,” I confessed quietly. “Inlove with you, as well. Because nothing brings me more happiness than spending time with you—yes, not even finding the cure to freaking cancer. Because I want to be here for all the moments. When George gets rid of the newborn scrunch, and when George teethes, and when George smiles for the first time, and when George sheds their newborn back hair, which Chase told me is a thing ...”
“You love me?” She blinked, swallowing hard.
I stood up slowly, like she was a scared wilderness animal I was about to startle right onto a busy road. “Yes,” I said cautiously. “Yes, I love you. I thought it was pretty obvious from, you know, how whipped I am for you.”
She shook her head distractedly. “No. I, uhm, I knew you wanted me, and that you liked me, but I never dared to hope you were actually in love with me. I’m in love with you too.” She paused, her upper teeth scraping her lower lip. “Been in love with you for quite a while, I suspect.”
“You were?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
“You intimidated me. What with your overachieving ways and formidable height and six-pack and ... and ...” She gestured toward me. “General existence. You have to understand, Grant, you give serious if-he-wanted-to-he-would vibes.”
“Well, I wanted to.” I snorted. “I’ve been wanting to an entire damn decade, Layla. I was just waiting for you to play emotional catch-up with me so we could get to this moment.”
We stood in front of one another, but there was still an invisible line drawn between us. I didn’t know how to pass it. How to skip over, pull her into my arms, and kiss the living hell out of her.
“Can I ask you a question?” She nibbled on the side of her thumbnail.
“Anything.”
“Would you ever consider Uno reverse carding this arrangement so you can take the Mayo Clinic position?”
I frowned. “I’m not sure I’m following.”
“Well, if the issue of you having to stay in New York is just me and—let’s call the baby George purely for logistical reasons; it’s still not decided—then why don’t we join you there?”
My mouth slacked. “It’s too much for me to ask.”
“As you pointed out earlier—you didn’t. I offered.”
