Reaching up my hand, I brush my fingers along his jaw. “I love you too. Thanks for being here.”
His smile widens and he leans forward to kiss me again, but before our lips meet, the sound of someone clearing their throat has us both freezing.
Jayce pulls back and turns his body so I can see Mom and Dad standing in the doorway.
Mom’s hands are clasped tight in front of her and Dad’s jaw is set and his brow is arched.
“Oh!” I push from the table and hurry to them. “Hey, uh…sorry about that…”
Mom grins and shakes her head. “Don’t apologize, sweetheart. We didn’t mean to interrupt.”
The way she’s looking at me makes my chest ache. There’s pride in her eyes. In Dad’s too. God, I wish I could just soak in this moment and just enjoy the fact that I’ve finally done something right, but I know I can’t. There’s something that I need to clear up with them once and for all. Something I’ve been putting off for way too long, and it’s time
“Sutton,” Mom says, grabbing my hand. “You did so well, darling. I couldn’t be prouder.”
“Very well done,” Dad agrees with a nod. “You handled that like a CEO.”
My heart races. That almost sounded like an offer.
“Thank you.” I suck in a breath and glance back at Jayce. He gives me a nod of encouragement. Turning my attention back to my parents, I continue, “I need to say something, about Colson, and I really need you to listen and let me finish before you say anything in response.”
Mom and Dad both frown in confused concern and share a glance.
Dad finally replies, “Okay.”
Here goes nothing.
“Colson’s death broke me,” I begin, the truth spilling out before I can think better of it. “It didn’t just make me sad, though. I felt so much guilt…I blamed myself, and part of me was convinced you blamed me too. It made me want to be smaller. Made me afraid to take up space. Afraid that if I stepped wrong, if I failed you, it would confirm every terrible thing I was already thinking about myself, that it should have never been him.”
Mom’s eyes widen and she parts her lips as if to say something. Fear grips me at what could possibly come out of her mouth. Will she try to stop me? Tell me I’m being entitled and full of myself?
“It changed you too,” I rush on, hands shaking at my sides. “Whether you blamed me or not, you started treating me like I was made of glass. I know you were just trying to protect me, but sometimes it felt like you didn’t trust me to stand on my own and you had to hold my hand every step of the way. It was… hard. All I ever wanted to do was make you two proud and prove I was good enough, but I should’ve just been honest with you. I should’ve told you how I was feeling long before now.”
When I’m done, I wait for them to respond, my heart racing with growing anxiety.
“Sutton,” Mom whispers, reaching for me as tears stream down her face.
“I know you didn’t mean it,” I say, my own tears blurring my vision.
She pulls me into her arms without another word, holding me tight, like she used to when I was little. Dad steps in too, wrapping his arms around both of us, his hand warm and steady at my back.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmurs, his voice thick. “You’re right, we were terrified of losing you too. But we never blamed you and we never thought for a moment it should have been you instead of Colson. You are irreplaceable to us, Sutton. We love you so much.”
We all cry together, and it feels like something is lifting from us. Years of guilt and regret that we’ve all been holding on to. It’s not all gone yet, but I can tell it’s a start.
When I finally pull back, wiping my cheeks, I smile up at them in relief.
“There’s, uh, just one more thing,” I say.
“What is it, sweetheart?” Mom asks, brushing a lock of my hair behind my ear.
“I know you believe in me. You always have and you just worried about me, not because you doubted me, but because you love me.”
Dad exhales. “That’s true.”
“I believe in myself now too,” I continue, my voice steady. “I know I can be a great CEO, but I don’t want to take over Holloway yet.”
Mom tilts her head. “Not yet?”
