38. Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Harvey
She’s here. And she was looking for me?
I grip the bunch of flowers tightly, then push them toward her. “I’m sorry. I fucked up.”
“You already apologized,” she replies, looking at me softly.
“I know, but I did multiple stupid things that hurt you. And I realize these flowers and my apologies won’t fix it.” This is more than just about a bouquet or some words. I need to make her understand that I get how much I hurt her.
“Then why did you buy them?” she asks.
“Because you liked them the last time I brought them.”
The corner of her lips twitches just slightly. “Are you sure about that?”
“Come on, at least give me a little credit.” I give her a half-smile. Even though it wasn’t my idea originally, now I'll have to thank my brother for the suggestion.
“They don’t erase anything, but they show me you care.”
“Care about you? I more than care. I love you,” I blurt out before I can stop myself. Her eyes are glossy and bright. I know I’m laying it all on the line. She could crush me again, but I have to try.
“I love you too,” she whispers.
I freeze, stunned, struggling to believe she actually said it. In this moment, everything else fades aways, all I can see is her. I’d follow her anywhere just to have a chance to talk things through.
“Can we go somewhere and talk?” I ask, realizing we’re still standing in the middle of the sidewalk.
“My place?” she asks.
I try to keep my voice steady as my heart pounds. “The new hangout.”
She rolls her eyes but smiles. “Stop making me feel old and just follow me.”
“I’ll drive.”
“I’ll direct.”
I hide a smile, relieved that she didn’t argue about it today. She pauses, looking at me intensely. I force myself to breathe and resist the urge to kiss her. Just because she wants to talk at her place doesn’t mean I’m forgiven yet. But I know she’s strong, and I want to make sure she knows she can lean on me, too.
When we reach my new Lambo, she stops, and gasps. “You brought it.”
“I did. Do you think Chad will like it?” I ask, picturing his reaction.
“Is that seriously a question? I’m more worried he’ll ask to drive it.”
I laugh, imagining his little face when he sees it. “He definitely won’t be allowed to do that.”
She climbs in and looks around the car. I wait, counting down in my head. Five…four…three…two…
“You didn’t,” she says when she spots the booster seat.
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because I was hopeful that you’d forgive me if I begged you enough and didn’t give up on you.”
“Doesn’t mean you stick a booster seat in your sports car,” she teases, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.
“Call it wishful thinking,” I joke.
She rolls her eyes, but I catch a hint of a smile. “You’ve really laid it on thick today.”
“It could be thicker if you’d let me,” I tease.
Her eyes widen, and her face turns crimson. “You’re terrible.”
“You said it,” I reply, grinning.
“I was talking about how much I’d tell you if I knew you wouldn’t be repulsed.”
As I drive, she directs me to her place. “I want to hear your thickest,” she says, with that glint in her eyes I’ve missed so much.
“Well, first, you need to stop talking about it because I’m already half?”
“Got it,” she cuts me off with a knowing smile.
I smirk, feeling a bit more confident now that I can see I’m getting through to her. “I’d tell you how much I miss you. How much I miss hearing your voice, seeing your face, hanging out with you, even doing the most basic tasks.”
“Keep going…” she prompts, and I catch a glimpse of the woman I'm head over heels in love with.
“I also miss Chad. He’s the coolest kid I know. When I got my car, all I wanted to do was drive over and show it to him. I know he’d love it, and just seeing him happy makes me happy.”
I can tell she knows exactly what I’m talking about. “He misses you. He wants to play at the courts with you again. He says he needs practice.”
“I bet it was hard to tell him you wouldn’t call.”
She looks over at me, her eyes a little sad. “It was.”
I keep my eyes on the road, but I feel her words sinking in. This isn’t just about me apologizing. It’s about figuring out how we can move forward together.
“I want us to communicate better,” I say. “I don’t want to hide anything from you. I want you to feel like you can tell me anything, even when it’s hard.”
“I agree. I can’t keep holding back either. But we need to be honest, even if it might hurt the other person.”
“No more keeping secrets,” I promise. “And with that being said, I need to tell you I reported Danny to the Police.”
Her lips twist, and she glances at me from the corner of her eye. And for the first time in what feels like forever, I believe we’re actually moving forward.
Just then, my phone rings. It’s Oliver. I tried calling him earlier.
“Are you still moping around?” he asks.
A little giggle escapes Jemima’s mouth.
“I’m not moping,” I reply.
“You didn’t come to play poker this week, and at Grams’s, you sat there looking salty as fuck.”
“Alright, alright,” I say, rolling my eyes.
Jemima’s laugh grows louder.
“Jemima, are you in the car with him?” Oliver asks.
“Hi, Oliver,” she says, amused.
“Fucking hell. I’m a dead man. Listen, Jemima, please forgive him. He’s been a fucking bitch to be around lately.”
“Alright, Oliver, I’m going now,” I cut him off before he can say any more.
“I was returning your call,” he reminds me.
“Yeah, about work. Not so you could tell Jemima what a loser I’ve been. Way to go, dickhead.”
“You’ll get over it,” he says with a chuckle.
“Bye.” I’ll call him back later about the new gallery.
“Well, that was enlightening,” Jemima teases.
“You mean humiliating.”
“I think it helped.”
“You mean being called out is better than me telling you?” I raise an eyebrow, giving her a look.
She sighs. “I need actions, not words. So Oliver dropping that bomb tonight was perfect.”
“I’ll call him back,” I offer, reaching for the phone again.
“No, I just mean… I get that you’re sorry, but as much as I want to believe you, it’s hard. I’m trying to learn to accept it.”
“So, what happens next?” I ask, uncertainty eating at me.
“I saw a therapist,” she reveals.
This could either be really good or really bad. I brace myself, wondering if she’s about to let me down easily.
I park in an empty spot outside a new brick apartment block, ten minutes closer to my house. The area is nicer, and I feel better knowing she and Chad live in a good place.
“How was that?” I ask cautiously.
“Good,” she says, though I sense some hesitation. “We talked about how my past is impacting my future. I need to change from saying I can’t trust anyone to saying I’ll take the time to trust.”
“I’ll give you anything you need. Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
She blinks at me, and I have to use all my willpower not to reach out and touch her cheek, to cradle her head like she’s the most precious thing in the world.
Turning away, she climbs out of the car. I follow, and we enter the building, which thankfully has security. Thank fuck. I love knowing they’re safe here.
Her hands shake as she opens her door. As soon as we enter, I take in her apartment, cozy and cute, just like her. The curtains still allow golden light to peek through, stopping the place from looking like an average boxy apartment with a hint of caramel in the air.
“The view,” she says, pointing to the window. “It’s nothing like yours, but I’ll admit, I got this place because of that. It was my favourite thing about your place.”
“Is that all?” I ask, still haunted by our time together at my place. I dream of it every fucking night, wishing it was real. Of course, when I wake up, I realize it was just a dream… again.
“Of course not. It was just one of the highlights,” she says, understanding exactly what I mean.
I take a deep breath and try to steady myself. “I want to make this work. Whatever you need, just tell me. I’m here.”
She meets my gaze, and I see the hesitation in her eyes. “It’s not that simple, though. I’ve spent so long building walls to protect myself, that I’m only now just started tearing them down.”
I nod slowly, taking in her words as I step closer to her. “I get that. I’ve made my own mistakes. I’m not asking you to let them go right away. But I need you to know, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here, and I’ll wait as long as it takes.”
Her lips twitch into a small smile.
“I’m so proud of everything you’ve been doing. It actually motivated me to do something big. I’m going to start a new company called DreamMakers, which is inspired by you.” I reach out to hold her hand. “I want to help single moms or dads start their dream business or turn around a failing one.”
She frowns, tilting her head. “But I thought you fell short on your inheritance?”
“I told my dad everything and he said that my choices didn’t make me a failure. He actually considered it exactly the opposite. He was willing to still give me the money.”
She looks at me, her eyes softening, as she threads her fingers through mine, and for the first time in a long while, I see the possibility of something real between us. But I also know it’s going to take time. Time that I’m willing to give, no matter how long it takes.
“So, where do we go from here?” I ask, my voice full of hope.
“I don’t know,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I’m willing to figure it out, together.”