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My breath catches at his declaration. He says it so nonchalantly, so effortlessly, that his expression doesn’t even change. Meanwhile, my heart is beating a thousand beats per minute because I can’t wrap my head around Lucas loves me.

“You what?” I breathe.

Smiling, he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You heard me. I love you.”

And I still can’t get enough air in my lungs.

Perhaps taking pity on me, Lucas sobers with a sigh, his hand dropping from my face. “But I also want you to know I had decided I was going to quit before you overheard me at the office the other day. I swear to you I never would’ve done what my boss asked. I just needed to placate him while I figured out the best way to quit.” His eyes grow sad. “I’m so sorry you had to overhear that conversation. It wasn’t until after you left that I realized how much I probably reminded you of your dad in that moment.” He shakes his head, his eyes searching mine. “No wonder you left.”

I drop my head, my skin warming with shame. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” I whisper. “I should’ve listened to you.”

“Oh, baby girl, no,” Lucas soothes, finally taking me into his arms. With one finger, he tilts my chin up so I’m looking him in the eyes. “I don’t blame you for that. What your dad did…what you saw as a kid…it has an effect. It makes sense that your trust was fragile.” He gives me a goofy half-smile to lighten the mood. “And let’s be honest: I hadn’t exactly been a choir boy up until that point.”

“No, you had been,” I rush to reassure him. But then his eyebrow quirks, and I blink rapidly with another blush. “Okay, maybe not a choir boy. But you had shown me you were a good person. There were so many moments that I knew you were more than you let people see.” Now, it’s my hand that comes up to touch him, to cup his cheek in my palm. “I should’ve known it when our relationship changed. I never would’ve slept with someone I didn’t like and respect.”

I think I’ve been falling for Lucas this whole time, a little more every time I got a glimpse of his big heart, but I know I complete the fall when I realize he’s too nervous to believe me.

“You sure I didn’t just have really good game?” he jokes, clearly trying to hide his nerves.

I smile, my chest warming with affection. “I mean, yes, you do have really good game.” But just as quickly, I grow serious again. “But that’s not why I wanted to get close to you, Lucas.”

All teasing drops from his face, his throat moving on a nervous swallow. And he sounds like a younger version of himself, too hesitant to believe someone’s compliment, when he says softly, “No?”

I shake my head. “No. You were…” I exhale heavily as I try to gather the words that will make Lucas understand how I see him. “You were the most amazing surprise. You have this mask that you wear, but underneath, you’re… God, Lucas. Underneath, you have the biggest heart. You care about people—and not just your friends and family, but strangers. You go above and beyond to help anyone less fortunate than yourself, and half the time you do it anonymously because you don’t want people to know the job title and flashy lifestyle is a mask. You’re not selfish, you’re selfless. And…” It’s my turn to swallow roughly. “And I fell in love with you for it.”

A huge breath gusts out of him, disbelief—with a small flash of hope—appearing in his eyes. “You what?” he breathes, his arms tightening around me.

I smile as I wrap my arms around his neck. “You heard me. I love you.”

Another breath, stuttering this time, fans across my face as he drops his forehead to mine. “Christ, baby girl. I feel like I’m hallucinating. I thought…I thought I lost you, that I was too late with my actions⁠—”

I’m shaking my head before he even finishes. “No. Never. I just needed a minute.”

Unable to stop myself any longer, I push up onto my toes and brush a kiss across his lips. “And I really am sorry I didn’t believe you. I was hurt and scared, but I shouldn’t have left as quickly as I did. Especially after how insane that night was.”

Now Lucas is the one shaking his head. “I told you, no apology needed. I needed the wakeup call.” A pause, and then, “But can we agree to having a little more trust with each other going forward? I’m not saying I’ll be perfect right off the bat, but I can promise I’ll never be the person you thought you were running away from. Ever.”

I’m already nodding as I press another kiss to his lips. “I’ll never doubt you again, I promise.”

“Thank God,” he murmurs, returning the kiss. “I love you so much, Charli.”

“I love you, too,” I whisper.

And then the kiss transforms into something more.

Maybe it’s the relief of putting everything behind us, or maybe it will always be like this. Either way, it takes us a long minute to slow things enough to end the kiss. When we finally pull away from each other, I’m pressed against the wall, Lucas’s hands in my hair and no space between our bodies. We’re both breathing like we ran a mile.

It takes me a second to bring my mind back to the present. And for some reason, the job part is the thing it latches onto.

“I can’t believe you quit,” I say, breathless. “How do you feel? What’s your plan now?”

He throws his head back with a laugh, the sound joyous. He already seems more relaxed and freer than I’ve ever seen him. “So, funny story…” When I tilt my head in question, he grins. “I took over Randall’s company.”

I gape at him. “You didn’t.”

His grin grows.

“You didn’t. How??”