She looks up at me with those impossibly green eyes, her short, wispy dark hair—flecked with color—falling into her face.
A tangle of arms and legs, we’re still wearing half our clothes in the aftermath of our desperation to be with each other, and a soft smile curves my lips when I see Stephanie’s perfectly mussed state.
We haven’t fucked like that in a long time—maybe ever. And I feel almost lightheaded with the intensity of my relief—of knowing just how good we are together.
I’m starting to believe we will always be able to find our way back to one another, no matter the obstacle.
Though I don’t want to test the theory.
“I love you,” I murmur, cupping her jaw and running the pad of my thumb over her rosy cheek. “I’ve loved you since the moment I met you, and I’ll love you until the day I die.”
Stephanie hesitates, and my heart stutters when I see fresh tears pooling in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, chest gripped in a vise as I search her gaze for the answer.
“I… love you too,” she whispers tearfully.
I can’t help but laugh, something inside me easing ever so slightly. “Shouldn’t that be a good thing?” I tease. “So, why do you look like you’re about to cry?”
Dropping her gaze, Stephanie disentangles herself from me, and my pulse quickens as the silence stretches between us.
“I do love you, Gio. But I can’t be with you,” she says after she’s put several feet of distance between us, and this time, when she turns to meet my gaze, she is crying.
“Why?” I rasp, my throat raw with emotion.
“I have Jackson to think about now, and his safety is my number-one priority,” she says, sniffing as she brusquely swipes at her tears. “Clearly, you still have enemies,” she adds, gesturing toward the shop door to indicate she’s talking about Kenji. “And we both know what could happen to me or Jackson if anyone found out we mean something to you. Look at what happened before.” She shakes her head, her gaze dropping as she picks at some dirt under her nails. “If it were just me, I might be willing to risk it. But I can’t put my son in danger to be with you. I just can’t.”
Two things hit home hard and simultaneously.
First, that she’s right.
I can’t promise her safety when I couldn’t protect her before.
And second, she specifically called Jacksonherson—which means, even with the return of her memories, she doesn’t believe I’m his father.
It’s agonizing to think about why she might believe that. To consider who could have done what to her to convince her otherwise.
Bile rises in my throat, and I swallow it down as I return to the truth of how horribly I failed her.
Nothing I ever do could make up for that.
And still, she says that she might consider risking it all again to be with me—if we lived in another world, where she didn’t have to worry about Jackson’s safety.
I wonder just how sincerely she means that.
Because if that’s all it takes to be with her, I would fly her and Jackson to the damn moon to be with them. “Would you feel the same way if I were willing to give it all up to be with you? We could run away together, start somewhere fresh, like you always talked about. We could go somewhere I could find a job as a straight-laced citizen,” I offer, stepping toward her to try and close the distance, a sad smile touching my lips as
I use the words she always did in her spiel to convince me to leave with her.
God, if I could turn back time, I would do it in a second.
I would give up the money, my family, my name—anything it took to have those eight years with her.
“I would love Jackson like my own son.
Hell, I already do, Stephanie,” I promise, extending my hand to her in supplication. “Please…”Just please don’t send me away.
“And what would happen to my flower shop?” she asks, glancing around the vibrant space. “I’ve sunk every spare dime I have into building this business.” She shakes her head, the tears coming faster now. “I’m not the girl I was before, Gio. I have responsibilities, obligations, alife. I can’t just pull Jackson out of school and uproot his life. And…” Stephanie shakes her head again, stepping back from me as she drops her gaze like she can’t bring herself to finish what she was going to say.
