Page 118 of Twisted Beauty

He really was coming to get her. Relief flooded through her and came pouring out in tears before she could stop them. He missed her as much as she missed him. But was that really enough? She forced her words out through the lump in her throat. “But you don’t trust me. Not that I blame you. You’ve been through so much with Sadie and—”

“Don’t make excuses for me, sweetheart. We’ve all been through a lot. I misjudged you, and that’s on me.”

Liv took a deep breath. She pulled her eyes from his and focused on her sandaled feet, not wanting to remind him what started all of this, but not able to let it go. “You know that’s not it. I lied to you.”

“But only because you were trying to protect everyone involved.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Katie told me.” He paused. “And Zach. Tito. My mother.”

Liv’s head snapped up. “Your mother?” Since when was Matt on speaking terms with his mom?

“Yeah, I know.” He shrugged. “Long story. I’ll fill you in sometime. But we had a long phone call yesterday, and for the first time in years I felt a huge weight lifted off my chest.”

“Wow. That’s—I’m so happy for you.”

He nodded, but didn’t look particularly happy about it himself. “Thanks. Turns out I misjudged her too. Seems like everyone but me knows how to forgive people for their mistakes. I hope you can too. I’m so sorry for the way I treated you, Liv. God, I miss you like hell.”

Just hearing the kindness in his voice made her heart ache for more, and the tears pool in her eyes again. Could it really be this simple? That they could just forgive each other? Did he still want her, even after the lie?

“I’m sorry too. You have no idea. I wish I’d given you the benefit of the doubt, and told you where I was going that day. I’ve had kind of bad luck with that in the past, and I just—”

“No, you were right. I would have wanted to go with you and beat the guy senseless.”

Liv smiled through her tears. “I know.”

He closed the distance between them and wiped the moisture from her cheeks. Just the skin-on-skin contact was enough to make a little sob escape her lips. God, she needed to get a grip or he’d think she was a complete basket case.

“Please don’t cry, Liv. It kills me that I hurt you.”

“I’m okay. I’m just so happy you’re here.” She wiped at her eyes again, so surprised and overwhelmed by everything that she couldn’t seem to pull it together.

“Of course I’m here. I’d like to think I’m only stupid in short bursts.” He stroked the back of his fingers along her face. “I’ve never known anyone like you. You think about everyone else first, before yourself. It’s not something I’m used to. And it’s so damned unfamiliar, being with someone who doesn’t have a hidden agenda, I didn’t believe it was true. But I have to say, you’ve just about restored my faith in human beings.”

And that had to be one of the kindest things anyone had ever said to her. She swiped at her cheeks to finish drying them, finally able to compose herself. “And by human beings, you mean American women?”

Matt chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose that’s what I mean. I might have been a little out of line with that. Or a lot. I still can’t believe that after everything I did, you went out of your way to bring that framed photo to Tito. And to hang it for him too.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I was the one—”

“Oh, hell yes I did.” He threaded his fingers through her hair, and her eyes fluttered closed. She actually had to try not to purr. Having him so close, touching her like he’d never stopped wanting her, was the best feeling ever in the history of feelings. “I had the kindest, sexiest woman on the planet all to myself and I pushed her away because of my own prejudices. I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of wrong. Let me make it up to you, sweetheart. I want to be the kind of man you deserve. The kind who knows we all make mistakes, and who gives you the benefit of the doubt no matter what nonsense comes out of that gorgeous mouth.”

Liv laughed despite the tightness that lingered in her throat. That had to be the strangest apology ever.

He wrapped an arm around her waist. “I hope like hell you can forgive me. Because I want you back.” He lifted her carry-on bag off her shoulder and set it on the floor beside them. She hadn’t even realized she was still holding it.

Matt cupped her face in his hands and lifted up her chin until she was looking straight into those beautiful milk chocolate eyes.

God, he smelled like heaven standing so close to her, a mixture of soap and ocean air and something intangible and delicious she couldn’t place. She didn’t realize how much she’d missed that until just this second.

“Please say you forgive me,” he whispered.

Liv nodded. “Always. But do you really trust me?”

Matt stroked her face with his thumb. “With my life.”

Liv reached up and ran her hand along his stubbled jaw, trying to convince herself he was real. That she wasn’t seconds away from waking up alone in her dreary apartment in LA, without him. “I came back to PV to start over. On my own. I mean, I couldn’t stop hoping you’d forgive me one day, but I honestly didn’t think I’d get the chance to be this close to you again.”