Adam grabs his arm. “We’re leaving.
“Fine, but I expect a full report later,” Lex calls as Noah physically pushes him toward the door.
The door clicks shut behind them, leaving Pierce and me alone in my apartment. The silence stretches between us, heavy with everything we haven’t said.
“I’m sorry about the kidnapping,” I finally manage. “I didn’t think they’d actually do it.”
“They were very determined.” Pierce straightens his hair, but his eyes never leave my face. “Why have you been avoiding my calls?”
“I needed to figure something out first.”
“That’s why I wanted to talk to you,” he says.
I take a deep breath. This is it. The moment I’ve been building toward since yesterday, since my cousins forced me to see what I’d been too scared to consider.
“Pierce, I?—”
“Thatcher, I need to tell you?—”
We both stop, staring at each other.
“You first,” I say.
“No, you.”
Another pause. Then, at exactly the same moment: “I’m quitting my job.”
The words hang in the air between us, identical and impossible.
“Wait,” I say. “What?”
“You’re quitting VSE?” Pierce asks at the same time.
“I’m going to take the job at my brother’s firm,” I explain, my heart racing. “I was against it initially, but that was before. I’ll do it if it means we can be together. But you, why are you quitting?”
“Don’t quit the job, Thatcher. You love it there. Even if it is only until you get your publishing deal.” Pierce steps closer, close enough that I can see the emotion swimming in his eyes. “You need to do something you love, and I’m sure the next CFO will love you as much as I do.”
I raise a brow. “Really?”
“Wait— No, that came out wrong. I will demand that Lior hire a woman. That’s the one.”
I laugh. “Okay, but why are you quitting?”
“Because I finally realized that no job is worth losing you. Because, Thatcher, you made me remember who I want to be.”
“Pierce…”
“I’m finally going to be an architect,” he continues, his voice gaining strength. “I’m going to start my own firm, focus on community projects. And I’m going to do it with you by my side, if you’ll have me.”
“If I’ll have you?” I laugh, the sound watery with tears I can’t hold back. “Pierce, I was ready to work with my smug brother and listen to my father’s ‘I told you so’ for the rest of my life just to be with you.”
“You don’t have to do that.” He cups my face in his hands, thumbs brushing away the tears that have started to fall. “Stay at VSE. Keep the job you love. I’ll be the one who leaves.”
“But your career…? You’re going to quit, but then how about when I get my publishing deal?”
“Being a CFO was never my true dream. I convinced myself it was because I craved acceptance from my father, because I was good at it, and because I’m a competitive bastard who wanted to win.” He kisses my cheek where he cleared my tears. “You saw through me, and without even meaning to do it, you drew out of me a dream I thought I’d buried so deep it would never be realized. You and your beautiful chaos and your art and your absolute refusal to be anything other than exactly who you are.”
“I love you,” I whisper.
