After checking that Lacey was all set for the evening and after saying goodbye to my family, I ran by my hotel to shower and change before driving over to Dean’s hotel. I felt like a ball of anxiety, unsure of how this night would end. Today had been a lot with the Prix, and I just hoped that it ended as well as it started.
Chapter 29
Dean
Addisonwouldarriveanyminute, and to say that I was nervous as fuck would be a massive understatement. I finally felt like the wall she’d put up was beginning to lower, and this was my chance to fix everything between us. Since she was probably starving, I ordered her favorite food and a nice bottle of wine. I had the pizza and wine set up on the table in my suite and had just hopped out of the shower when I heard a knock at the door.
I opened the door, and even dressed casually, this girl managed to take my breath away by how effortlessly gorgeous she was. Her long hair was down in waves. She wore black leggings with a matching cropped black tank top that showed a sliver of her toned stomach, an oversize button-up shacket hanging off her shoulders, complete with a pair of Nikes. She smiled and peeked her head inside the room. “Did you really need this massive suite, Adler?”
I chuckled as she stepped inside. “I got us your favorite food and some wine. I figured, knowing you, that you didn’t eat anything today before you rode or after.”
A slight smirk graced her lips. “Pizza! You know me well.”She walked over to the table and grabbed a slice. I joined her at the table, and we ate in comfortable silence. I poured us each a glass of wine as Addison reached for a napkin to wipe her mouth. “Thanks for this. I was starving,” she said around a mouthful of food.
I nodded. “No problem.” I nervously scrubbed my hand across my jaw. “So, uh, I don’t even really know where to begin with this. So, I’ll start from the beginning, I guess.” Addison took a small sip of wine before she put her hand on my arm to stop me.
“Dean, wait. I want to say something first.”
I nodded, encouraging her to continue, unsure of where this was going.
“I’m really sorry for what I said to you at your house that night. You are nothing like Noah, and I know that was a low blow from me. After spending time apart and after everything you have done for me and continue to do for me, I know I want to be with you. All you’ve done is show up for me time and time again. I know the man you are, and I know where your heart was behind every mistake. I don’t care about those texts. I don't need proof because I trust you and your word. I was stupid to ever trust anything from Noah over you. Please forgive me for doubting you.” Addison linked her fingers through mine, her green eyes pleading.
I sat there a bit shell-shocked. I wasn’t expecting an apology from her, nor did I need one. This was about everything I had done wrong, not her. The accountability she took for her part in this mess was refreshing, something I wasn’t used to, and itmade me love her that much more.
I blew out a breath, still processing her words. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting that, but thank you. That means a lot to me. I know I want to be with you too. But I’ve been rehearsing this apology in my head for the last week, so can I still continue with it?”
Addison laughed and waved her hand in allowance. “Yes, please continue.”
“Well, you already know that Noah is my cousin, and he had me act like one of his friends to lie to you. I want to say again how incredibly sorry I am not only for doing that but also for not telling you the truth once I made the connection. That wasn’t fair, and please know I never meant to hurt you. Harper also made me aware that she told you about your lesson horses.” I reached across the table for her hands. “I’m really sorry for not telling you about that either. I was trying to do something nice for you, and I know how stubborn you can be when people want to do nice things for you.” Addison chuckled at that. “So again, I’m sorry, and for the record, you can’t pay me back for those horses.”
Addison smiled, and fuck, did I miss having that smile aimed at me. “Thank you, and apology accepted for all of those things…” She was about to continue, but I cut her off before she could say anything more.
“Wait. I’m not done yet. I know that the texts you saw on Noah’s phone hurt. I know you’re unsure if they’re real or not. With my current track record, and even though you just said that you don’t care about the texts, why the fuck would youbelieve me when I tell you they’re fake?” I pulled one of my hands away from hers and reached for the blue folder that I’d set off to the side, pushing it in front of her. “This is the proof. Noah used an application to create the fake text messages that allowed him to enter any phone number he wanted so it would look legit.”
Addison let go of my hand and picked up the folder, flipping through all the pages inside. “What is all this?”
“Documentation that shows where the texts originated from, his actual text and phone records, as well as mine. You can see there is zero communication between him and me, or Margot and me, within the past year.”
Addison continued to flip through all of the proof, her eyes scanning each page. “How did you get all of this? There is no way that Noah willingly gave you this information.”
I laid it all out for her. I told her every detail. I told her about Archer’s and my visit to Noah’s apartment, the conversation with my parents, the company we had on retainer that my father deployed to uncover and extract all of the necessary data from Noah’s company phone, and I told her everything that was found on his phone, along with the repercussions he faced. When I finished, Addison’s mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide. She took a moment to gather herself and process everything that I had just divulged. “I don’t even know what to say, honestly. If anything, I feel embarrassed that I dated someone capable of those things for so long. I was going to fucking marry him.” She hid her face in her hands. “I know I already said it, but I’m so sorry I doubted you, Dean. And I am so,so incredibly sorry that I chose to hear him out over you,” she mumbled through her hands, unable to look at me.
I reached out and grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands away from her face. “Hey, look at me.” She looked up at me with tortured eyes, making my chest tighten. “You had every right to doubt me. I kind of dug myself into a hole. I’m just relieved I was able to show you the truth so I could ensure you had zero doubt.”
A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she pushed her chair out, made her way over to me, and settled herself in my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. She pressed her forehead against mine, inhaling deeply as she closed her eyes. “I missed you so much,” she whispered.
I held her close to me, closing my eyes as well. “I missed you too, baby.” I pulled back just enough to place a soft kiss on her lips.
We polished off the pizza and then decided to take our wine to the large soaking tub in my hotel suite. Addison was sore from the Prix, so I suggested that she take a bath to soothe her muscles and the overall tension from the day. I might have also had an ulterior motive to get her naked as quickly as possible.
Once the tub was filled, we got ourselves settled with her back against my chest and sank into the warm, fragrant bubbles. Addison laid her head back against my shoulder and let out a contented sigh. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure how this night wouldend up after I saw you.”
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “And how is it ending up?”
I didn’t have to see her face to know she was smiling. I could feel it. “Pretty fantastically, Adler.”
“So, how has everything been the last couple of months at the farm? Seems business is good,” I said as I ran my fingers up and down her arm.
“Great. I took several of my clients to our first horse show together, which I mentioned a while back, out in Evergreen River. Everyone did amazing, they all rode great, and all the horses were great…” She paused for a moment. “Cash and I won the Grand Prix. Archer and Harper surprised me and flew in for it, but I couldn’t stop wishing that you were there too. I felt myself looking for you in the crowd…” She trailed off quietly.
