Page 120 of Just Ten Seconds

When my gaze lands back on Dean, I can see a tear fall down the corner of his eye.

I keep my eyes on his and speak from the heart, “I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on him. Just ten seconds. That’s all it took for me to fall in love with Dean Delgado. Now, I have to spend the rest of my life showing him that those seconds mean forever.”

There’s no applause. There’s not even a squeak of a chair. Just the sound of Lauren’s sniffles as she cries what I assume are happy tears.

Tracey takes my hand and then rises, offering me a hug. “You are a brave girl, Mara,” she says, and I return her hug.

Lauren is quickly out of the chair, and so are Joey and Kevin. They join in, and soon, the entire room is up, giving one big group hug. Their forgiveness is overwhelming.

As I look around the room, at the people gathered in this mosh pit in the center, I try to find Dean, but he’s nowhere to be found. I stay at the meeting until it’s over because it seems like the right thing to do. Dean isn’t in his seat when I look back for him.

At the end of the meeting, I’m one of the first ones out the door, expecting Dean to be waiting for me by the stone wall but he’s not. He’s gone, his truck no longer in the parking lot.

It’s not too late in the evening when I return to Warwick, yet I feel like it could be midnight. My body is exhausted from the emotional highs and lows. The high being how wonderfully accepting everyone was to my confession. The low, of course, being Dean’s disappearance.

I don’t know what I thought would happen. That he’d jump up from his seat and run into my arms? Make a grandstanding admission that he had been so lonely without me that he was heartbroken? Kiss me like a madman in front of everyone?

While all of those scenarios would have been welcome, they were not expected. Of course, neither was him leaving.

I put my brights on as I drive down my road. Not having streetlights is something I’ve grown accustomed to since I moved here. In the city, you always have a light, no matter where you go. Here, you have to make your own.

As I turn into Rita’s driveway, I’m nearly blinded by the electric blue. My heart races at the sight of Dean’s truck parked on the street. As my headlights turn into the driveway, they collide with his steely gaze as he sits on the front stoop of Rita’s porch, waiting in the dark.

My feelings swirl in a cauldron of excitement and dread. I put the car in park and exit with trepidation as he stands up and greets me. The night air is cold against my skin, yet my adrenaline is punched high, making me immune to the chill.

Dean stands, and even when I’m in my heels, he has a good four inches on me. In the darkened street with only the moonlight and the porch lamp to highlight his features, I take in how roguishly handsome he is. His light eyes glisten against his smooth, dark skin. His hair is unkempt, and that stubble has grown in over that square jaw. He has the looks of a man who can walk into a room and steal the heart of any woman in there. I know because he took mine with a single stare.

My heels click lightly on the pavement as I walk up to him. I don’t want to speak, for fear of what might come out of my mouth. So, I wait. And stare. I’ve done enough talking tonight.

“When I was young, I made some mistakes. They cost me my education, and they cost my family dearly. My mother screamed at me for days when I was arrested for stealing a car. It was the same week I was kicked out of school for not going to class. She cried for a week after that. My decisions were devastating. My uncle pulled me onto his job site and asked one question, ‘Do you want to be remembered for your past failures or praised for the goodness you do today?’ ”

His dark brows deepen as he speaks, “I didn’t understand what he meant, but I knew I had to start making some smart decisions. I went to work with my uncle, took summer classes to make up my grades, and turned my life around. Now, when I see my family, there is no mention of the chaos I caused for a handful of years. All they talk about is how successful I am and what a wonderful father I’ve become.”

He looks at me with glassy eyes. “I won’t judge you for the mistakes you made, but I need to know, can you promise to always be truthful? When we met in the café, I met a woman who was kind and brave. I wanted to know her story no matter how good or bad it was.”

I nod and soak this moment up for as long as I can. Just because he’s here doesn’t mean he forgives me. It just means he’s here. And that’s a step forward.

“You have me. My stories, my past, my dreams, my fears are all yours.”

He takes a step forward and puts his hands on my face, lacing his fingers in my hair and gently stroking my cheeks. When he lowers his forehead to mine, his eyes clench.

“That’s good,” he says. “Because I fell in love with that woman.”

Tears burst from my eyes. “You love me?”

When his eyes open, his pupils dilate, and that grin softens. “Why else would I be here?”

With my hands gripping the fabric of his shirt, I pull him into me and sear him with a kiss. Our mouths collide, and the reconnection is intense and emotional as our lips tremble.

My hands are on his chest, feeling the heat and his rapid pulse. His fingers dig into my back, pulling me closer, as if he never wants to let me go.

“I love you, Dean. If you’re not ready to love me fully, I can wait. I can earn that trust.” My words are breathy as I clench his shirt.

He wipes a tear from my cheek with his knuckle as a small sob escapes my lips.

“Every breath I take is for you and Amanda. I’ll never let you down, Dean. I promise.”

“Promises are forever.”