“Once wasn’t enough? What were you looking for?” I could only assume he was watching it to make sure the resort didn’t get any bad press.
“Once definitely wasn’t enough. I couldn’t get enough of watching you. You are so damn good at your job. The way you did your best to make sure Carter and Kristen got the event of their dreams. How you problem solved to get everyone to agree to things that sounded like a relationship ender to me. The way you stood up to both of his moms like some sort of raptor wrangler.” Drew laughed softly. “Then there was how gorgeous you looked through it all. You were always the most beautiful woman in every scene.”
I felt my bottom lip tremble.
“It’s also why you’re hearing Scarlet O’Hara providing the soundtrack.” He pointed to the speakers.
I burst out laughing at his slip-up. “Okay, boomer. It’s ScarletRush.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, I know you fans are very protective of her.”
“But how did you know I liked her?”
“You don’t know?” He chuckled. “The first time we met, and accidentally switched phones, remember? Her song was your ringtone.”
“Oh. Right,” I replied, dumbfounded that this man—the same man I’d thought was so oblivious to who I am and my needs—had, in fact, paid such close attention from the very beginning .
Something goodhadcome from our meet ugly, even if it would only be another Ashford falling under Scarlet Rush’s spell. I still couldn’t allow myself to embrace what was happening with him.
Not until I heard everything he had to say.
Drew gestured down his body. “I’m surprised that you didn’t mention my outfit.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Oh, I noticed it right away. Sort of hard not to. It’s not your usual big bad bossman look.”
He took a few steps closer. “I wore it because you told me it was your favorite. You said you liked how the t-shirt felt against your cheek when we were snuggled on the couch.”
I would have thought that he would never, ever be caught dead in the get-up outside his house, but here he was, being real and vulnerable for me.
“I also said those pants make your ass look great,” I said, trying to make light of what was a life-defining conversation.
I could’ve sworn his cheeks went red at the compliment, but he never stopped staring into my eyes.
“I need to apologize for all the things I screwed up, Emilia. It’s quite a list. For example, I made you think that I didn’t care about what mattered to you. I tried to “fix” your life instead of just giving you the support you needed.” His mouth went tight for a moment, then he continued. “I shut you out emotionally. And my worst offense? I let you just walk away instead of fighting for you.”
My heart filled a little more with each confession, until it was almost bursting.
“No. I take that back. I let you think that I didn’t care for you as much as I do. I let you think that the optics were more important than the reality. I…”
“Drew…” I whispered as the tears finally started falling.
He closed the gap between us and reached out swipe a tear away with his thumb. I started to lean into him, but then forced myself to take a step back. I held up my hand and he stayed where he was. “You hurt me.”
“And I will apologize for that every day for the rest of my life if it will help us heal.”
“You made me feel as if I was nothing more than a fling.”
“I was wrong. You could never be a fling. You are a happily ever after.”
I sniffled hard worried that I was about to ugly cry. “I wanted a happily ever after with you,” I whispered, too afraid to say it louder.
He brushed his hand through his hair and I realized that he looked as bad as I felt. Dark circles under his eyes and his skin was almost a sickly pallor. “Past tense?”
“What?” I didn’t know what he was talking about.
“You said youwanteda happily ever after with me. Past tense. Not now?”
Oh. “Maybe not past tense.” I bit my lip waiting for the other shoe to fall. For him to tell me there was a camera filming us somewhere for Dorian’s sequel. I didn’t have it in me to go through another breakup with Drew.
