"You're quite a prize," she says with a sad smile. "Maybe I should have done the same thing. Fought harder for you."
"You don't have to fight for me." The words come out urgent. Desperate. "I'm yours, Sutton. I've always been yours. I don't want anyone else. I never wanted anyone else."
She looks up at me then, and I see tears in her eyes.
"I want to believe you."
"Then believe me." I set down my stick and grip the boards. "I love you. Not Bree. Not anyone else. You."
“Declan, why does this keep happening?” Her voice is a whisper laced with pain.
I lean closer. "Nothing happened. I walked her to her room and left. That's the truth."
A tear slips down her cheek. "I've been so angry."
"You have every right to be angry."
"And hurt. And confused." She wipes at her face. "Everyone keeps telling me I'm overreacting, that I'm insecure. That it was just a photo."
"It wasn't just a photo. It was a betrayal. I betrayed your trust by not taking your concerns about Bree seriously."
"You did make me feel crazy."
"I know. And I'm sorry."
She's quiet for a long moment. Just standing there, tears streaming down her face.
"I don't know how to trust you again," she finally says.
"I'll prove it to you. However long it takes. Whatever you need." I lean even closer. "Just give me a chance."
She looks at me for what feels like forever.
Then she walks around to the bench entrance.
My heart stops as she steps onto the ice in her sneakers, walking carefully toward me.
I meet her halfway.
We're standing inches apart. I can smell her vanilla body spray. I inhale like a freak because I have missed that smell so much.
“I realized something." She looks up at me. "Bree wanted to destroy us. She tried so hard. Manipulated everyone. Set up that perfect moment."
"Yeah."
"But she can't destroy what we have unless we let her." She reaches up and touches my face. "I don't want to let her win."
Relief crashes through me so intensely that I feel dizzy.
I nod because I’m afraid to say anything and screw up the perfect moment.
"I'm still hurt. I'm still angry, and we have a lot to work through."
"I know."
"But I don't want to give up on us because some manipulative bitch played games."
I cup her face in my hands. "I love you so much."
