46. Lilah
LILAH
T he silence in the car is thick but not uncomfortable.
Well, not exactly.
I sit with my hands folded neatly in my lap, my jacket wrapped tightly around me like armor. My mind continues to replay the interview on a constant loop, stuck on one moment.
One statement.
“This woman isn’t just my best friend, she’s the one I love.”
He said it so plainly.
As if it had always been obvious.
And maybe to him, it was.
But not to me.
The city blurs past the window as we drive toward the penthouse. The lights, the traffic, the noise all fade to the background. Inside the car, it’s just me and the echo of his words.
Steele doesn’t try to fill the silence. One hand rests on the wheel while the other is draped casually over the gearshift. Every so often, I catch his gaze flicking to me.
Checking in .
Watching.
Waiting.
But he doesn’t push.
He never does.
Maybe that’s why it took me so long to see what was right in front of my face all these years.
When we pull into the underground garage, I blink, as if finally waking from a dream. Steele cuts the engine and turns toward me. His face might be the epitome of calm, but his eyes are filled with concern.
He reaches over, gently brushing a few loose strands of hair from my cheek. “Are you okay?”
“I am,” I say automatically, even though it’s only half true.
“Good.” He studies me for a beat. “I wish you would have told me what you were doing.”
I bite my bottom lip and hesitate. “I was afraid you’d try to stop me.”
“You’re right.” His jaw flexes. “I would’ve.”
The warmth of his fingers seeps into the side of my face as he cups my cheek, and I can’t help but lean into the touch, grounding myself in it. This man has always been a steadying presence in my life.
“All I’ve ever wanted is to protect you.”
“I know,” I whisper. “But you don’t have to. Not always. I’m strong enough to handle what life throws my way.”
He gives a small smile. “I know you are, baby. You’re the strongest woman I know. Strong enough to walk away from a career that didn’t make you happy. Strong enough to start over. Strong enough to fight for what you want.”
I study his face, every line of it carved with sincerity. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“When you told Chandra that you’ve loved me since college… did you mean it? Or was that just for the camera?”
He doesn’t blink. “I meant every damn word, Lilah. I’ve always loved you. I’ve always been in love with you. ”
My world tilts sideways at the declaration. “Then why didn’t you ever say something?”
He exhales, the sound weary and full of regret. “You were always with someone else. And when you weren’t… I was too afraid to ruin what we had. If friendship was all you could give me, I’d take it. Because any version of you was better than none.”
Tears prick my eyes. “I love you, Steele. More than I ever thought I could love anyone.”
“I love you too, lucky charm.” He reaches for my hand. “Ready to go upstairs to our home?”
I nod, the weight of the day giving way to something warmer. Lighter. As we walk hand in hand to the elevator, a bubble of joy builds inside me. It’s bright and full of promise. Everything is finally falling into place. And that has everything to do with the man at my side.
The one who’s been there through every heartbreak.
Every misstep.
Every storm.
Steele has been the one constant through it all.
Inside the elevator, he wraps his arm around me, and I press against his side, inhaling the warm, woodsy scent that’s always had the power to calm me. Only now do I understand why.
Because he’s my home.
This man has always been my home.
We step inside the penthouse and find Waffles nestled on the couch. She lifts her head just long enough to acknowledge us before flopping back down with a sleepy meow.
The lingering aroma of dark roast and baked vanilla hangs in the air from this morning, but everything feels different now.
Settled.
Whole.
I set my bag down by the elevator and drift toward the windows. The lake stretches out in the distance, a dark blue canvas sparkling under the sun.
I press a hand to the glass. It’s not the skyline that draws me in but the life I finally see waiting for me. The one I get to live with Steele.
He steps behind me and slips his arms around my waist. His body is solid against my back as his warmth seeps into my bones.
“You always get quiet when you’re thinking deep thoughts,” he murmurs, his mouth grazing the curve of my neck just under my ear.
I smile. “Just taking it all in.”
“And?”
“And for the first time, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
His arms tighten. “Good. Because you’re not going anywhere.”
I turn to face him. “I don’t want to.”
He searches my eyes. “You sure about that? Because once you say the word, I’m all in. No more friends with benefits. No more lines. Just us. All of it.”
And he means it.
Every word.
“I’ve never been more certain of anything,” I tell him.
The brush of his lips is slow and reverent, a promise written in silence. I kiss him back with everything I have. Every scar, every hope, every ounce of love I’ve been too afraid to say out loud until now.
When we finally pull apart, his thumb brushes over my cheek. “So… we’re really doing this?”
“We’re doing this.”
And just like that, the ache I’ve been living with for years dissipates.
The man I’ve always loved as a friend ?
He’s mine now.
And I’m his.
Not just for tonight.
Not just until the spark fades.
But for all the days ahead.
This isn’t the end of our story.
It’s just the beginning.
And I wouldn’t change a single page.