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It must be.
I blink my eyes hard and when I open them, she comes into focus once more.
“I heard through the grapevine that you may be in love?” Her voice fills my chest, like a breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed.
“Sterling?”
“He’s right, you know.” She takes a few slow steps towards me from the other end of the hall, but I don’t want to move, in fear that this daydream will end.
“About what?”
“About women asking for space. Usually, we say that because we’re angry or upset. But we’re too stubborn to admit that what we really want is the opposite.” She smiles that beautiful fucking smile, and every part of me aches to have her in my arms.
“You heard that?” I ask.
“Every word.” She bats her lashes at me, pushes her hair behind her ear and then says, “And I think I love you too.”
I don’t hesitate, I track my way toward her to close the distance with such eagerness, I almost collide with her. But just like in the movies, she jumps at just the right time, and I pull her into my chest, wrapping her legs around me. I brace her with one hand on her bottom and the other in her hair and the crash of our lips is like fitting the last puzzle piece to reveal the final image.
An all-consuming kiss.
Lightning and thunder.
My girl in my arms.
“You’re here?” I break the kiss reluctantly.
“You’d think I’d let you deal with this all on your own?” Her fingers run through my hair, the feeling of longing settling in me.
I set her back down, and she plants her feet on the ground in front of me.
“Sterling, the car acci-”
“Callan.”
“No, I need to apologize.” I hold up my hand to my chest. Sterling’s eyes catch mine, they look just as tired as mine probably do.
“I know, Callan.”
“Well then hear me out,” I plead.
“No, I mean I know. I got here before you did and talked to Richard. He explained everything to me.”
“Richard? As in my father? You talked to mydad?” I’m in shock. And I’m now understanding the conversation with my dad even more. He had his heart softened by Sterling, just like I did. She dug the emotion out of him just as she’s done with me. It just secures the way I feel about her even more, heightens the way I need her.
“Yes, that would be the Richard I’m referring to.” She lets out a small chuckle, then her expression turns serious. “I’ll be honest, Cal. When he got a hold of me and asked me to come, I was prepared to let all hell break loose on him. But I chose to listen to him first and when he explained what had happened, how he dropped the news of his cancer on you so abruptly, everything made sense. He told me about the bribe, told me how completely unaware of anything he did. Told me how upset you were at him and at yourself that you didn’t do the right thing after you hit me that night. It doesn’t excuse what happened, but it gives me enough to go off of. Enough to understand that you are not the monster I assumed you were in that moment. I know you were in a bad place, and I know that you never intended to hurt me, or anyone.” Her soft voice is so sincere. Tears gather in the corners of my eyes just as hers start to stream down her cheek.
Both of us take a much-needed breath before she continues.
“I want you to know, I’m going to be mad at you. But I don’t want to hold this against you forever, and I want us to move on.” Her lashes fan the tops of her cheeks as she looks down to the ground and then back up to me. In this moment still, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than the woman standing in front of me.
“I’m so incredibly grateful for you, Sterling. And I will spend the rest of this life and the next, doing everything I can to show you how sorry I am, if given the chance.”
“This is something I want to work through with you. Together.” Her blue eyes hold me hostage.
“I don’t deserve you,” I whisper as I reach out to run my thumb along her cheek.
“We all make mistakes. Yours are just really big and hard to ignore and probably deserve some jail time and a couple of AA classes.” We both laugh, lightening up the mood a tad. But her laughter does more than that to me, it brings me back to life. “But nonetheless, you deserve a second chance. I see you for who you really are. Kind, hardworking, and willing to be better than you were the day before. And I’m not ready to let that man go.”
