AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes. But if you take off your dress, I’ll be distracted with your gorgeous body, though I do plan on enjoying it soon.”
He cupped my face, more solemn than I’d ever seen him. “I meant what I said earlier. I love you, Jules. With all of my heart. I can’t and wouldn’t change that it first belonged to Sarah or that she’ll always be part of my past. But I want you to believe me when I say I’ve moved on, something I’ll hopefully show you every day. You’re my future. You and Tristan.”
Cue the liquid happiness running down my face again. “I love you, too.” The words came out muffled against his chest since he’d crushed me to him, giving me the type of hug that envelops the soul.
“I’m sorry I needed time last week, but there was a lot happening. It was emotional, to say the least.”
I pulled back, needing him to understand he didn’t have to say he was sorry for it. “It’s okay. It wasn’t easy not hearing from you, but don’t apologize for needing this time. Did you, uh, hang out with her family all week?” I was genuinely curious if he’d spent it with her family, sat huddled in the dark crying his eyes out, or what.
“Some of the time. Yes. But most of the week was spent packing up my house.”
“WHAT?” I practically shouted, stepping back and staring at him in disbelief.
He gave me a small smile. “Sarah’s parents and sister came over and took the items they wanted, such as pictures and mementos. We were going through photos when you called, so again, I’m sorry I wasn’t ready to talk. Anyhow, I put some other things in boxes that I’m not sure will ever see the light of day again, but I wasn’t ready to let go of them. And the house will go on the market after I finish making a couple needed repairs.”
“Holy shit.” Not only was it the first time he’d freely spoken to me about Sarah in conversation, but he was also selling his house. I took a seat on the bed, completely in disbelief. “Sorry, give me a minute here to say something better. More profound.”
He chuckled, taking a seat beside me. “You owe a dollar in the jar. But I think your response just now was the only one I needed to hear.”
“Why this week?” The anniversary of Sarah’s death seemed an unlikely candidate as a time for him to come to these conclusions.
He expelled a long breath, taking my hands. “It had been building for a while. There was a reason I was spending every night at my office instead of going home to a house full of reminders. Although it’s a sad time each year, I was tired of being sad—if that makes sense.”
He tucked my hair behind my ear, taking a breath. “It sank in on that Sunday when I went over to her parents’ house like I do every year. We visited her grave, we went through pictures, and I went home. Then on Monday I drove back over, finally admitting to her family that I’d felt responsible. After all these years, I blurted it out. And you know what? They already knew that she’d come there because we’d disagreed about the wedding. She’d told them. And they’d discussed how postponing actually did make sense. They said that when she’d left the house, they all knew we would be fine. That we’d simply postpone the wedding until after the bar exam. I only wish I’d brought it up sooner so I could’ve known.”
Although it was usually Mark who was dealing with guilt, I couldn’t help feeling a measure of my own now. I felt sad she’d died and that things hadn’t worked out for them and yet happy he was with me now. It wasn’t comfortable to dwell on it. “It was closure for you?”
He nodded. “Long awaited. And then I told them about you. About you and Tristan.”
“You did?” I was floored. Holy crap, when the man said he needed to “talk,” he wasn’t messing around. The surprises just kept on rolling.
“I didn’t want to hide it any longer. It was important they know I found love. They’re happy for me. In fact, they want to meet you. Someday. When you’re ready. And I’d love for that to happen. Not because I seek their validation or need their opinion about you, but simply because they’re like family to me.”
The last thing I wanted to do was be a wedge between him and people who clearly loved him. They even wanted to maintain a relationship with him despite him having a new woman in his life. “I’d love to meet them. Although you do know how I am when I get anxious, so please be forewarned that I’ll have buckets of nerves. You may find it adorable, which for the record could speak to your level of crazy matching mine, so—disclaimer and all.”
He smiled. “Duly noted, and think of it this way. If you weren’t that way, I wouldn’t have ever discovered how much my fingers turned you on at the rooftop party the first time we met.”
I giggled, thinking back to that disastrous night. In the end, it was turning out spectacularly. “Two-fingered-orgasm-inducing fingers, if I recall correctly.”
He threw his head back, laughing. “It’s a good thing you didn’t have the same reaction to Dr. Mac.”
Now I was laughing, too. “Wait, if you’re selling your house, does that mean you plan on moving?”
He started kissing behind my ear. “I hear North Carolina is nice. Pretty girls there.”
“Depends on where you go. For instance, Charlotte is probably best. I hear the girls there are kind of kinky.”
“Thank cluck.”
I pulled back, framing his face and smiling. “Did you just mommy-modify the F-word?”
“I figured I’d better start if I want to make a case for moving in with you anytime soon.”
“You’re going to contribute to the jar?”
“You bet. Or if moving in right away is too fast, especially since you got into your new place only a couple weeks ago, I can get one close by, and we can wait.”
“It’s not too fast, but you’re the one whose life changes drastically when you move in with me and a toddler. Are you sure you’re ready?”
