“I was on my way to your place. If—if you’d let me in.”
Neither of them had moved an inch toward or away from each other. A few humans stepped around them, glanced back as they pushed the big glass doors open and exited into the summer humidity.
“Would you?” Claire said.
“Would I let you in?”
She nodded.
“I would.” He took a step toward her, and she didn’t pull away. “I will.”
“Not sure I deserve it,” she said, then closed her eyes and gave a frustrated hiss. “I’m doing this all wrong. You weren’t supposed to be here.”
Hope flickered in his chest. When he closed the last little gap between them and took her free hand, she let him, her eyes fixed on his, glittering and flashing in response to his touch.
“Come on,” he said.
He led her outside, across the street, down a block to the park that lay beside the river. They were still downtown, but this areahad been set aside. The wide green space held a few picnickers but was otherwise quiet. Tai and Claire were the only vampires in scent distance.
They claimed a bench swing off the main jogging path, screened by two willow trees that grew toward each other from either side of the swing. Claire set her shopping bag between herself and Tai. Fair enough.
She gestured to the flower beds at the base of the willow trees, the river a few dozen feet away where a family sprawled on a yellow picnic blanket and ducks and geese floated past on the water.
“This is a decent setting, I guess, but I was going to write it out.”
“Write what?”
“My apology.”
The hope inside flared bright. Too soon, but he couldn’t help it.
“I was going to use lyrics from your favorite bands. And…and…”
“Claire.” He waited until she looked away from the river to meet his eyes. “It’s me. Just talk to me.”
“I’m sorry, Tai.” Her eyes were dull now, bleak but fixed on him. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I didn’t listen. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. I said it was about you trusting yourself, but it wasn’t.”
The words were like a serum. They seeped into his heart, cleansed and eased the old wound, the recent reopening.
Tears fell as Claire continued. “I hate the things your father said to you, but when I got scared, I gave you an ultimatum just like he did. And it wasn’t fair, and I’m so sorry.”
“Claire.”
He lifted the bag and set it on his other side, and they reached for each other, and then their lips were crashing together, theirkiss deep and wild from the start. They were themselves again, together—demanding, pushing, delighting. The taste of Claire, the heart of Claire, bold and powerful, guarding her longing to be seen and prized and held. Tai pushed his fingers through her hair, dipped his mouth to kiss the mostly-healed mark at her collarbone.
His lips so near the dip of her shoulder, the need to place his bite stirred deep inside. Knowing now that he could safely give them both what they most wanted made it harder not to. But he wouldn’t, not on a swing in the middle of a public park. And not until he knew he wasn’t hearing a difference in her only because he wanted to.
Claire drew back a few inches to cup his face between her hands. She whispered, “I believe you,” then kissed him again, gently. Drew back, whispered, “I trust you,” and left another brush of a kiss on his lips. Drew back a final time, whispered, “I’m listening now, and you are enough, Tai Aksel. Your word is enough. Your heart is enough.”
Enough. Just him, no covenant. His word and his heart. She said the words now from the core of her own heart, nothing taken for granted or brushed off. Yes, this was different.
They cuddled quietly on the swing. Tai’s longer legs pushed them gently, and Claire curled hers up on the seat and rested her head on his shoulder. The breeze rattled the stiff twine handles of the shopping bag, and a few Canada geese flapped their wings in the middle of the river and honked at each other.
After a little while, as the sun began to set behind the distant mountains, Tai said, “Thank you. I needed to hear you say that.”
“I mean every word.”
“I know you do. I can hear it. And I forgive you. And if everything I withheld three years ago—if that contributed to this, then I’m sorry too.”
