Chapter 64
Chapter Sixty-Four
BLUE
I heard the music from down the hall, though the lot outside looked empty. For a second, I thought maybe it was Jean making sure everything was ready for Fiddlers to reopen. Sometimes she got dropped off, so it made sense.
But when I walked in, I froze.
West.
He was in jeans, a T-shirt, and had a broom and dustpan in his hands.
If it weren’t for the shiny Rolex flashing on his wrist, I would’ve thought he was someone else.
The contradiction made me want to laugh and cry all at once.
I was immediately disarmed by the sight of him, and the second he reached across the bar and took my hand, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to resist whatever he had to say.
Because in that moment, I knew it was the truth.
Not just because Grams and Dad had cleared up a few things for me.
Not just because his words lined up with the pieces I hadn’t been able to make sense of.
But because I felt the same pull that had captivated me from the beginning, the same pull I’d tried to ignore right up until he’d changed the script on me at my dad’s house.
I should’ve stayed in that office. I should’ve seen how he handled what his lawyer said. Instead, I’d left and let myself spiral.
But West was right. We’d find peace. Forgiveness. Even for the people who hadn’t meant to cause harm. Maybe especially for them. And more than anything, with each other.
When we came back from the office, his hand was tucked behind his back. He pulled out a small box made entirely of Legos.
I blinked at it, confusion heating my face until I noticed the pink blush rising across his. And that instantly became my new favorite look on West Brooks.
“Remember how I said I always build the things I want?” he asked.
I nodded, my stomach flipping.
He opened the box. Inside was a ring made of Legos.
I stared, baffled, until he shrugged and reached for my hand. He lifted the ring finger where I’d taken off the placeholder from our fake marriage.
“There was one truth to Harrison’s rant,” he said quietly.
“He never had a judge sign our marriage papers. And that gutted me. But it also gave me a new resolve. You were never really mine, Blue. Not in the way I want. But now I get the chance to do things the right way, when the time is right. So I’m giving you this. ”
He pressed the Lego box into my hands.
“It’s not an engagement ring. It’s a stand in. A reminder of my goals. Of what I’m working toward. My new mission in life.”
I stared down at the silly, brilliant little ring. My breaths came uneven, my eyes flicking between the plastic box and his face like I was caught between reality and a dream.
“When did you even make this?” I whispered.
“Right before I went to see your dad. It didn't take long. You were getting dressed and I felt inspired. Then I hid it. I was going to give it to you when we got back to Atlanta last Sunday, but everything fell apart.” His jaw clenched. “I was going to ask if you’d let me do this the right way. If you’d let me fall in love with you.
Because I was contractually obligated not to and I couldn’t live like that anymore.
Eventually…” His eyes softened. “I want to ask your dad for your hand in marriage. The old fashioned way. The way it should have always been between us.”
The thought made my throat ache and I thought of Dad and Lisa laughing over the LEGO set earlier that day.
“After you sent him that box this afternoon,” I teased, “he might be the one to ask you to marry him.”
West laughed, the sound so rare and real it tugged something deep in me.
“I thought that was your favorite one,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“I love that thing,” he said, grin spreading. “But I love you more. And I figured if I was going to take something your dad loved and make it mine, I should give him something in return.”
Something in me broke loose then. I couldn’t stop myself. I launched forward, wrapped my arms around his neck, and pressed my lips to his. It had only been a week, but it felt like a lifetime since I’d kissed him, and I swore I’d never let it go that long again.
“I love you too,” I breathed.
His arms came around me instantly, strong and certain, lifting me onto the bar. My legs wrapped around his waist, and then we weren’t talking anymore. We were just a couple of kids, clinging to each other like the world outside Fiddlers didn’t exist.