“I had a girlfriend one year in high school. We broke up about six months before I went to boot camp. She moved for college and never came back. Then I met you in Munich.”
Hallie’s going to think I’m some kind of stalker.
But I’ve never been a man who settles.
“And after Munich …” she asks.
She might as well know how important she was. “I couldn’t get over you.”
I hold my breath.
“Me?”
“You.” I pause. “It wouldn’t have been fair. No one could have measured up.”
She’s silent for way too long.
I shift in my bed.
If she’s overwhelmed, I wouldn’t blame her. My choice to stay single isn’t normal, I know that. But I’ve always been comfortable in my solitude. And I want what I want.
She still hasn’t said anything.
“Did I freak you out?” I ask after the silence stretches a beat too long.
“No. It’s just unexpected.”
“That night was special. You said it yourself. I’m not a man to settle. I’d rather be single than be with someone, knowing you were out there somewhere.” I take a breath and let it out. “It sounds crazy saying it out loud.”
“It’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” she says.
The tone of her voice makes me want to hop in my Jeep and drive over to her house just to kiss her. I wouldn’t even have to hang out. I could do it. I consider offering.
“I still want you,” I tell her. “And I’m not complaining about our pacing.” I blow out another breath. This is all new to me. I always say what I mean, but telling someone how I feel about them—telling Hallie—is different. “You’reabsolutely not under any pressure, but I want you, Hallie. We can take our time as long as you need to.”
“It’s not me,” she assures me. “I have to think of Mia.”
“And that’s completely right,” I say.
The words flow easily because they’re true. As much as I want Hallie, I’d never want to harm Mia in the process of pursuing something more permanent with her.
“Even though nights like tonight will be hard, you’re making the right decision,” I assure her. “I wanted to put my arm around the back of your chair so many times—to hold your hand during a song, to dance with you when couples got up to dance, to be with you the way a man is with the woman he’s falling in love with.”
Her breath hitches. I used the word. I know she noticed.
“I know,” she says. “I wanted that too.”
“Mia’s only seven. I can't rock her world just because I have feelings for you,” Hallie says, reiterating the reasoning to remind us both what’s at stake.
“And, I know this may sound morbid, but I was married, Greyson. And at the time, I thought it was til death do us part. But everything turned on a dime. I can't have something happen between us with Mia in the mix. She'll get attached to you. If we don’t last, losing you would be too much for her.”
Then she surprises me. “I understand if you want to call things off. No man should have to sneak around to see someone.”
“No.” I cut her off. “Hallie. Listen to me. I'd rather have a minute of your time every day, hidden, stolen, or however I can get it, than to end our relationship.”
She’s silent. I hear a sniffle.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
