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“Thank you!”
My heels clack against the floor, nearly sliding out from under me as I run to the elevators. I press every button, smacking them multiple times.
“Come on. Come on.”
One of the doors slides open as it dings. I dart inside, and click the button for the rooftop until the door closes. My chest heaves as I watch the digital numbers rise, my heart thumping in my throat.
Bryce is here.
Bryce is waiting for me.
Bryce loves me.
The door opens to a breathtaking view of the nighttime skyline. A cool autumn breeze blows through my hair as I step out onto the roof, raising goosebumps on my skin. I walk under the hanging string lights toward the tall man standing by the edge of the railing, overlooking the bustling city below, my hurried steps now slowing the closer I get.
He turns around, removing his hands from his pockets, and obsidian stones shine down on me.
I grip onto the railing to steady myself, unable to trust my shaking legs to hold me up. “Y-you’re here.” I don’t recognize my own voice. It sounds garbled, like I’m talking underwater.
“So are you.” His deep tone sinks into my bones like an old familiar tune.
“You knew I would be.”
He nods, the faintest hint of a smirk pulling at one corner of his full lips. “You look stunning in this dress. My heart almost stopped beating when I saw you walk in.”
My hand moves of its own volition, stroking his yellow satin tie that matches my dress. “Your speech was ...” I shake my head, unable to form words. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I always want to make you proud.”
“Is it true?” My bottom lip trembles. “Everything you wrote in my journal?”
“I meant every single word.” He swallows as he takes my face into his large hands, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. “I’m so sorry for letting you leave thinking I didn’t want to be with you. I’m sorry I hurt you, and made you cry. I’m sorry I didn’t come after you when you left. I’m sorry I was too afraid to let myself be what you wanted us to be. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this sooner.” His eyes bounce between mine. “I love you, Charly. I’m irrevocably in love with you. You’ve marked my soul forever. And I don’t want to let you go. I don’t care about the distance. I don’t care what we have to figure out. I only care about you. Please say you can forgive me, and that you’ll let me make things right.”
Hope, love, butterflies, and warmth explode inside my chest. I grip onto his suit jacket, willing my legs to hold me up just a little bit longer. “Bryce, I love you too. I forgive you, because you deserve forgiveness. You’re going to make mistakes, and so am I. But we have to learn from them, and grow in order to move on. I want to grow and move on with you. I want us to help each other, the way we did this summer. Just don’t shut me out. Please. Whatever happens, I want us to face it together.”
“I won’t shut you out again.” A lone tear rolls down his cheek. “You ... you love me?”
“You were worried about being someone I could give my heart to. But you have it, Bryce. You’ve had my heart all this time. You’re not someone I could love—you are the one I love.”
He backs me against the railing, and claims my mouth, ravishing me with the most passionate kiss. With one hand, he grips my jaw, while the other wraps around my waist and holds me against him. I open for him, my tongue searching for its counterpart, and when it wraps around mine, tears spill from the corners of my eyes. We’re breathless and frenzied, my hands in his hair, his fingers bruising my skin.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I murmur against his mouth. “This city doesn’t feel like my home anymore.”
“You’re my home.” He scrapes his beard against my neck, sucking the sensitive skin just below my ear. “I want to be wherever you are.”
“I miss the inn. I miss Maine. I miss Edward.” I freeze, pulling back to look into his eyes. “Wait, where’s Edward?”
“He’s with my friend.”
“You have friends?”
He jabs me in my ribs, grinning as he leans in and bites my earlobe. “I have friends, smartass.”
I wrap my arms around the back of his neck. “Please tell me you were feeling presumptuous about our reunion, and you got your own room here tonight.”
“I did.” He brushes a strand of windblown hair from my face. “But we should talk first. I want to explain everything that happened before you left, and I have a lot to tell you about what I’ve been doing since then.”
I grip his face in both of my hands, and shake my head. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow. Right now, all I need is you.”
