They stared at each other, gazes locked as the doors sealed closed. The elevator started its descent to the ground floor.
There was so much wrong with everything he’d just uncovered about Sadie.
She could have an amazing career. She could be the best at what she did. But he was about to make it his mission to ensure she saw all the other pieces of her life that defined her, too. Her friendships, family, him.
Screw it all. Screw everything that made sense. The only thing that mattered was his Sadie.
She may not be willing to acknowledge that she was his. Not yet. But he was okay with that. He just needed more time to show her. Show her that she was everything.
That she always had been.
Even when she drove him crazy. Even when she made him want to pull his hair by the roots. It didn’t matter. She was Sadie.
She could have everything. Half of the life she’d dreamed about was not enough.
In his soul, he believed they were meant to be together—believed that what they’d had was how forever felt.
He’d just lost sight of that at the wrong time.
Chapter Seven
“Mom?” Sadie called from the kitchen at Eli and Marlee’s.
She and her mom were getting things ready so when the new family arrived home, everything would be easy-peasy for them.
“In here.” Her mom came from around the corner of the living room. “Did you get all the things Eli asked for?”
“They didn’t have the tuna, so I got tilapia.”
“But Eli wanted tuna.”
“But they didn’t have tuna, so I got tilapia.” Unless the fish was an exotic species in a custody dispute, it was, in fact, just fish.
“I guess they’ll have tilapia then,” her mom said with resignation.
Tilapia was edible, it was a fish, and it started with a T. That seemed pretty freaking close to tuna.
“Let’s get everything unloaded, and then you and I can disappear before they get here.” Sadie had already laid out the two boxes of pasta on the counter.
Eli had texted her with a requested grocery list so he wouldn’t have to leave Marlee and Luke after they got home. Sadie handled the shopping trip while her mother stopped in to tidy up. All of the blog posts she’d read said that they should make themselves scarce during the first days so mom and baby and dad could all bond without having to worry about entertaining.
“I just need to swap out the sheets on their bed.” Sadie’s mom hurried up the stairs. “Lothario?” she called. “Come help me.”
“I don’t think Lothario does sheets, Mom,” Sadie shouted after her.
Then again, Lothariodideverything. Sadie giggled at her own double entendre. He was already halfway up the stairs to follow his favorite grandma. She was his favorite because she kept kibble in her pockets just for him, and when he went to town on her shoes, she didn’t stop him. She just slipped them off her feet and walked away like nothing was happening and her pumps were not being defiled. Apparently, that’s what made an excellent grandmother.
Sadie’s phone chimed on the counter. She grabbed it.
Sadie had one bestest best friend, Marlee, but they were part of a group of best friends. Most of the group had scattered across the country after their undergrad years—Becca, Kellie, and Sadie—but thanks to a never-ending chat string, they stayed in touch daily. Often hourly.
Becca: Roman Dvornakov? Really? *He’s* the mysterious R?
Sadie: Marlee talked.
Kellie: Seriously, Sadie, this is the kind of thing that is required best friend disclosure.
Marlee: I’ve already been reamed for taking so long to spill. But…baby.
