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His heart snapped in two. He went to her and sat down and his ass bone hit the floor. There was practically no air left in the mattress.
“I ruined everything,” she whispered.
“No, Lil.”
“Everyone knows I slept with Emmett. And now they know I’m sleeping with you. They probably think I’m sleeping with every designer in the tri-state area.”
“They don’t think that. And if they do, who the fuck cares?”
“I care. Joanie and Clive won the account of a lifetime and now they’re losing it because of me. London’s face… I—I’m so ashamed.”
“They didn’t lose the account.”
She blinked at him, eyes wide. “They didn’t?”
“No. After we left, London shitcanned Emmett. He’s gone.”
“But London knows…about us?”
“Unless you kiss every designer the way you kissed me tonight, I’m pretty sure everyone knows about us.”
She groaned and dropped her face into the pillow.
He rubbed her back, then her bare shoulders. “You are a vision in green.”
“Shut up.”
“See that hair stuck in the strap?” He offered her the mask.
“No.” She accepted it, though, and that felt like a win. She reached behind her back and then handed him a speaker. “I assume this belongs to you.”
He pressed the power button. The battery was dead. “I’m a dirty cheater.”
“You are, but not where it counts.” She swiped her fingers beneath her eyes. “Tonight was my worst nightmare. Causing pain for everyone I love scared me more than being here and facing Essie Mae. She’s been quiet tonight.”
He froze, chills covering him that had nothing to do with ghost stories or phantom footsteps. “E-everyone you…love?”
“Yes. After my breakup with Emmett—and then Andy—I promised myself I was done dating forever. I didn’t want to try again, and I was certainly not going to date anyone in my industry again. Then came you.”
“To ruin everything?” he guessed.
“I’m ruined, all right.”
He smiled, because he could relate.
The house was drafty and creaking, and smelled like rotted wood. But the predominant feeling inside the dilapidated structure was the thick band of love strung between them. No amount of incorporeal footsteps or voices could change that.
Since this was a legit now-or-never moment, he knew not to let it pass. “I love you, McIntire.”
Her breath caught. Her eyes widened.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he teased.
“I might be hearing things. Did you just say—”
“Yes. Want me to say it again?”
She nodded, her smile shaking at the edges. A good sign.
