And this was her moment—to tell him what she wanted just like Kiki told her to do. To tell him how important he’d become to her, and that she didn’t want to lose him.
“We need a board meeting,” she said.
“Guys, can we get the room?” Decker said to the crew.
“Absolutely not,” Jack said, he and his crew moving in, boom mic and all.
She didn’t care what they caught on film. She needed to tell him the truth before she chickened out. If he didn’t choose her, then at least she’d know she tried. That she was honest. Because she knew if he were being honest, he’d admit he wanted to stay and see where this relationship could lead. In her heart she knew it could go the distance.
But what did he think?
“I want to talk about you taking the job with your family.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t want to get in the middle of family, but I don’t want you to go. I know that’s a selfish ask, but for once I’m going to be selfish.” To her embarrassment, her eyes filled with tears.
“Stating what you want isn’t being selfish, it’s being human.”
“Then I’m being human for the first time. I’m so used to putting everyone else first and always coming in second, but for once I want to come first. I know this is a big ask, but can you put me, putusfirst?”
“I’ve been holding off all day giving Jack and Brian my answer because I’ve been waiting to see where you stood. When I told you this morning I was going to do the show, you acted like you wanted me to go,” Decker said.
“Part of me wants you to go so that you can reconnect with your family. But a bigger part wants you to stay.”
“Why didn’t you say that this morning?”
“I’m so used to being the one chasing and fighting for the relationship,” Poppy replied. “For once I wanted to be the one chased. I wanted you to fight for me. Because I love you, Decker. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with you, and I don’t want this to end.”
There. She’d put it all out there, her heart open on a platter for him to do with what he chose. She just hoped to God that he chose to protect it and not shatter it.
“Angel,” he whispered in a gentle tone that sounded more like a rejection than a promise. Then he took her hand and kissed each one of her fingertips. “I didn’t fall in love along the way.”
And there it was. The tattered pieces of her heart gave one last pump and then suffocated in rejection and pain.
“I understand.”
She went to pull back her hand, but he held on. “I fell in love with you that night at the bar.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, it’s why I stayed and did this show. Not because of Brian, or Jack threatening to sue. I stayed hoping that I could change your mind about me and win you over.”
Her eyes stung with joy. “You didn’t need to win me over. You just needed to be yourself.”
“Around you I feel like I can. I don’t have to hide anything. You accept me for who I am. How could I walk away from that?”
“What about your show?” Poppy asked.
“We’ll figure it out, but you’re my number one. Don’t you get that? No matter what happens you and I are in this together.”
Balloons of happiness soared in her chest. “Together,” she repeated.
“I want to kiss you so badly right now.”
“Then kiss me.”
“But the cameras?”
