Page 218 of Manhattan Bossholes

“Boss! Hey, Boss!”

I whirled around. Carlos hung out the door of the building, waving to get my attention. “Cora called down saying you could come up.”

I raced for the door, hardly believing his words. “You’re sure?”

He nodded. “Where the hell’d you get a boombox from?”

I clapped him on the shoulder. “Long story. Thanks, Carlos.” I slid past him and headed right for the elevator, riding it up to the seventh floor. I knocked before my nerves could get the better of me.

Jennifer threw the door open, giving me a swift up and down. Her lips curled into a smile as her eyes landed on the boombox. “I’m heading out,” she announced. “You have two hours in the apartment alone to sort yourselves out before I’ll be back.” She took a step toward me, poking me in the chest. “Don’t fuck this up.”

Did that mean I had a chance?

She strung her purse over her shoulder and marched off down the hall without another word. I slipped through the door, letting it close softly behind me. Cora stood in the middle of the living room, her arms crossed, looking out toward the window. I placed the boombox down on the kitchen counter. When she finally looked at me, I could tell how wary she was.

“That was a little ridiculous,” she said after a beat.

I shrugged. “Apparently love makes me do ridiculous things. At least this time, it was a fun kind of ridiculous—instead of dumb decisions and saying things I don’t mean.”

Cora’s mouth stretched into a thin line. “Is that so?”

“I’ve always been the kind of person who has a lot of feelings. Big feelings I haven’t always been the best at controlling. And for a long time, I thought that meant I had to avoid the things that made me feel that way. That I had to run away from them to stop myself from becoming too⁠—”

“Irrational,” she finished for me. She didn’t look impressed.

I swallowed hard. “It’s taken me this long to figure out that running isn’t the answer. What I need to do is embrace them.” I took a step toward her. She stared at me, those brown eyes shuttered, closed off. I’d hurt her so badly—had stomped all over the faith she used to have in me. Now I needed to fix it. “I thought I was protecting myself by not getting emotionally invested, but what I was really doing was shutting myself off from every wonderful thing that love could bring. Every wonderful thing that you could bring.”

“And what about the fact that I make you a worse version of yourself?” she asked, an edge to her voice.

“God, I was so wrong for saying that, Cora.” I touched her shoulder, my chest going tight when she flinched away. “For even thinking that. You don’t make me a worse version of myself. Of course not. You brought me to life in every way that matters. And yes, sometimes that’s meant I’ve acted out destructively, but that was because of my lack of control—nothing else. All you did was bring me so many moments of joy the likes of which I’ve never experienced with anyone but you. I know I need to do better. That I need to work on handling my feelings in a healthier way, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

“These are all just pretty words, Aiden.” She shook her head. “Anyone can say they’re going to work on themselves.”

“No, I’m serious,” I said. “I’ve been looking into anger management classes and I’ve…I’ve also started seeing a therapist.” I pulled the business card from my wallet, handing it to her. “Her name is Veronica. She’s been…well, very enlightening so far. And she doesn’t put up with any of my excuses. Sort of like someone else I know.”

Cora ran her thumb over the name on the card, her eyebrows drawing together.

“Anyway, I’m going to stick with it. Because I want to be a better version of myself. For you, but also for me. And more than anything, I want another chance. But I understand that I’ve said things and done things that have hurt you, and I know an apology doesn’t make all of that disappear. It’ll take time to show you that I’ve changed, but I am changing, Cora. And I’m doing it for you. Because you’re worth all that.”

Her breath caught a little, like she was trying to keep from crying. “Do you really mean it?” she asked, her voice shaky.

“I do. I swear it. Cora…the problem was never you. You’re amazing. I was the idiot who didn’t know how to handle everything you made me feel. And I was three times the idiot for blaming things on you instead of taking responsibility for myself.”

She nodded slowly. “You really hurt me, you know.”

“I know. And I’m so, so sorry. I was wrong. Actually, I was a complete dumbass.”

At that, I finally got a bit of a laugh. “Maggie told you what I said?”

“That she did. Complete with some color commentary of her own.” I stepped closer again, and she tilted her head back to meet my eyes. Was it my imagination or were they softer than they’d been a minute ago?

“You were right,” I said, “in everything you told her. I let you down. I broke your trust. You have every reason to doubt me when I say that I’ll do better.”

“So if I’m right not to believe you, where does leave us?” she asked.

“It leaves us right here,” I said. “With me showing up, earning your trust in any way I can. Hour by hour. Day by day. For as long as it takes. I love you, Cora. I will never walk away from you again. I’ll prove that you can rely on me, if it takes me the rest of my life.”

I held my breath, waiting to see how she’d react.