“It did, but that was the risk I took when I agreed to sneak around with you behind his back.”
“Neither of us could’ve predicted how it would turn out or that there were other forces working behind the scenes to destroy us.”
His words hint at things we haven’t discussed yet. I know we need to talk about the heavy stuff, but I want to enjoy being here with him before it all implodes. “I hope you get the chance to patch things up with West. He could use a good friend.”
“I was sorry to hear about the accident and how it derailed his plans.” Vander leans across the table. “I want to reconnect with him, but I don’t know if it’ll ever be the same.”
A veil of sadness shrouds me, and I hate it might be true. I have regrets in life, and one of them is ruining the friendship between my son and his best friend. “You won’t know unless you try. Things have been hard for him. He moved here after the wreck. He was so broken, physically and mentally. Seeing his dreams die overnight sucked the joy from his life. Hazel ditched him when he was at his lowest point, and I’ll never forgive her for that.” I gulp back a mouthful of my wine, and it feels bitter sliding down my throat. “At least it opened the door for us to fully reunite, and we gradually repaired our relationship that year.”
“I read an article about him six months ago, and it sounds like he’s made a good career for himself as a sports agent,” Vander says, unlinking our fingers when the waiter arrives with our appetizers. He sets plates down in front of us and leaves.
“He has, and he likes it, but I know he still struggles to accept the path his life has taken.” I cut a piece of scallop. “I’m very proud of him though. He fought hard to recover after the accident and to rebuild his life.” I pop the scallop in my mouth, blushing when I realize Vander is not eating and just staring at me.
“I’m still partial to that color on your cheeks,” he says, maintaining eye contact as he picks up his knife and fork. “I can’t stop looking at you. This feels surreal.”
“I know,” I say when I have finished chewing. “You look amazing, Vander, and I’m proud of you too. Look at everything you have achieved.”
We chat while we eat, keeping it casual. He tells me about college, his digital art, and his ambitious plans to expand his galleries so he can offer more aspiring and new artists a platform. I explain how June and I set up our JuKe Bakery business, expanding to five stores in Oregon, and now that Carly has come on board to help us set up a franchise business, we plan to open bakeries all over the US.
“I’m not surprised you ended up doing something like that. You were always far too good in the kitchen to waste those talents and smart too. I read about your success over the years, and it made me proud.”
“You were keeping tabs on me?”
He nods, reaching over the table to take my hand again. “I wanted to ensure you were doing okay.”
Tears pricks my eyes. All these years, I worried he’d forgotten me. Terrified he couldn’t get over my supposed betrayal, I feared he might hate me. I had no idea he was checking up on me like I was checking up on him. “I did the same,” I softly admit. “I’m so sorry about your mom. I wanted to go to the funeral. I wanted to be there for you so badly.”
“But you couldn’t. Because of my dad.”
My brows climb to my hairline. “You know?”
Lifting my hand, he raises it to his lips, brushing his mouth against my skin, sending fiery tremors skating across my knuckles and up my arm. His touch still does enchanting things to me. “I don’t know the details. I’m hoping you’ll finally tell me.” He sets our conjoined hands back down on the table. “I was so angry at first, and I couldn’t understand it. I knew the kind of person you were, and I struggled to accept you’d been playing me all along. I couldn’t believe everything we’d shared, the connection we both believed in, was a lie. I spent the time before Yale in Canada with Mom. It gave me the headspace I needed, and I realized it couldn’t be true.” He squeezes my hand, and his chest inflates as his face floods with emotion. “I woke one morning, and I just knew he’d blackmailed you in some way. That it wasn’t the way it looked.” His face floods with sincerity. “I’m sorry, Kendall. I’m sorry for believing the lie so easily. For not trusting in you. For not going with my gut when it was whispering it wasn’t true and that Dad was somehow involved. I let my hurt overrule common sense. If I had reacted differently, everything could have been different.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s not mine either. If it makes you feel better, I wouldn’t have let you come after me. I wasn’t going to let you throw your dream away. I didn’t want that for you.”
“I was supposed to protect you. It was never meant to be the other way around.”
“We have both done things to protect the other, and that’s the way it should be.” I don’t want him feeling guilty for anything that happened.
“After I had my ‘come to Jesus’ moment, I phoned Jimmy. I had no one else to talk to who knew us. I told him I was going to book a flight to Oregon and go see you. I intended to demand the truth.”
“He talked you out of doing it.” It’s what I asked him to do, and I know Jimmy is a man of his word.
“He did.”
“How is Jimmy? I have missed him.”
“He’s getting old. Boner finally convinced him to retire and sell him the boxing club.”
“Viola told me.”
“I can’t believe they got married, but Jimmy says they’re very happy.”
“They are. I hated missing their wedding, but I couldn’t risk attending.” It was clear Greg had eyes and ears on us over the years, and I didn’t know what he might do if I stepped foot in Colorado Springs. I came clean to Viola before I left town, so she understands why I haven’t returned and why I had to bail on her wedding.
“You have sacrificed so much for me, Kendall. I won’t ever forget it.” Vander’s piercing green eyes lock on mine, and I can barely breathe. The intensity of the way he’s looking at me knocks all the air from my lungs, and I’m back in the past, reliving every intimate moment we’ve ever shared. His lips kick up, and the biggest smile crests over his mouth as he points between us. “This is ultimately what kept me going. I knew we had the kind of love that would never die. I chose to trust in it and what we’d learned together about our past and what we suspected and hoped for our future.”
I sniffle and swipe at the tears pooling in my eyes. “That is the only way I survived our separation, Vander. Knowing we were always meant to be, but I honestly didn’t know if you’d given up on that. On us. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you did.”
