Chapter 45
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
“I forgot how much I loved this movie,” I said.
“I didn’t,” Amelia said from under a blanket. “I chose it specifically because I wanted to cry.”
“As if you need to watch P.S. I Love You to make you cry,” Jessica laughed softly. “Girl, your pregnancy hormones make you cry without even trying.”
I smiled at my adorable sister. “Something tells me she needed another excuse this time.”
“I still can’t believe you’re having a baby girl,” Jessica said. “And you didn’t even do a gender reveal party.”
“I could’ve arranged the perfect event for you, too,” I teased, sipping my wine.
“Not my thing,” she said. “Maybe it is for women who are married and have families that are excited about the arrival.”
“I’m excited,” I said. “So are all of our friends.”
“I don’t mean it that way,” Amelia said, grabbing a handful of popcorn. “I guess I don’t see the point of it. I’ll have a baby shower and do a registry, but I never understood the gender-reveal thing.”
“I think it’s just to draw attention to the parents-to-be,” Jessica added.
“It’s not a bad thing,” I said. “Some people are into it, and others aren’t.” I reached for a handful of popcorn. “You will be having a baby shower, though, so we can celebrate you and the new arrival.”
“I will,” she answered nonchalantly. “That’ll be a lot of fun.”
The scene on the television shifted, bringing our attention back to the movie.
The main character, Holly, sat alone in her apartment, still trying to navigate life after Gerry.
Her first letter had arrived, and the room fell quiet, not because we hadn’t seen the movie before, but because we knew what was coming.
Amelia reached for another tissue.
“Here we go,” I said with another sip of my wine.
“What?” she answered.
“You know how this ends,” I reminded her.
“That’s not the point, sis,” she said.
Jessica smiled over the rim of her wine glass. “I agree with Amelia.”
I looked between them.
“Then what’s the point?”
“Holly isn’t crying because Gerry died,” Jessica said as Amelia nodded. “She’s crying because he loved her enough to think about what she would need afterward.”
I found myself watching the screen a little differently now. It wasn’t the grand gestures, the romance, or even the thoughtfulness. It was the effort and understanding of what Gerry had gone through to help Holly endure life after his passing.
Jessica pointed toward the television. “That’s always been my favorite part.”
“The letters?” I questioned.
“No,” Jessica shook her head. “The fact that he knew her and what she would need.”
“Exactly,” Amelia nodded. “He understood her.”
The scene continued playing, and I found myself leaning back into the couch. “God, that would be nice.”
Both women looked at me.
“What?” Jessica smiled.
“It’s nothing,” I said, brushing them off, “and stop doing that,” I finished, pointing at the two of them.
“Doing what?” Amelia asked.
“The thing where you know exactly what you’re implying,” I said.
“We’re not implying anything,” Jessica said before Amelia could.
“You’re both implying that Titus is probably like that.”
Neither denied it, and I understood how it looked from the outside, like Prince Charming and I had found each other, and I didn’t have to worry about the part where the evil stepmom was going to find a way to destroy it.
Soon after, Gerry’s next letter arrived, drawing everyone’s attention away from me. This letter was another reminder and another instruction. Another piece of himself left behind for the woman he loved.
“I still think it’s unrealistic,” I said.
Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Which part?”
“All of it.”
Amelia rolled her eyes. “God.”
“Mm hm,” I said, taking another sip of wine.
We continued watching as the movie progressed, and the characters made their way to Ireland. And most importantly, the realization that life could continue even after heartbreak.
I smiled as I watched Holly slowly begin to live again, smiling and trusting once more. That part always got me in this movie because starting over was harder than people realized. Also, letting someone in after being hurt was terrifying.
But in truth, trusting somebody with your heart was one of the bravest things a person could do.
We continued watching in silence. The only sounds were the television and Amelia’s muffled sniffling into her tissue.
I looked down when my phone vibrated against the coffee table. The smile that appeared on my face came before I could stop it.
Titus. Finally. I’d been dressed and ready to go to dinner with the man for over an hour, waiting for him to finish his meetings for the day.
I reached for the phone, and my smile disappeared as quickly as it came:
Titus: Preciosa, I’m so sorry. The acquisition meeting is still going. I’ve attempted to leave twice.
I’m not going to make dinner tonight. I promise I’ll make it up to you.
For a moment, I simply stared at the screen. The disappointment hit instantly, not because I was angry, thought he was lying, or doubted him. I knew exactly how hard he worked. I knew what his life looked like, and I knew he wouldn’t cancel unless he genuinely had no choice.
Still, that didn’t stop the sting.
Jessica quietly watched me over the rim of her wine glass. “He got delayed?”
I nodded. “Apparently, an acquisition meeting has become the meeting that never ends.”
Amelia frowned. “That sucks.”
I stood up. “It is what it is,” I forced a smile. “Let me go change into something more comfortable, and I’ll just heat up leftovers.”
“Sis,” Amelia said, “this is the first and, I think, the only time he’s done this.”
“I know,” I forced another smile, begging myself not to see this as everything I knew it was.
This was how it all started. I knew shit was always too good to be true.
Fairy tales were in storybooks, not in life.
Life taught you hard lessons so you wouldn’t make the same mistakes twice.
And if you did? It would make the second lesson harder, so you’d finally pass that particular test of resilience.
And here it was. Not because Titus had done anything wrong. The man truly was not at fault. But did I want to be in a relationship with a man whose business commanded every aspect of his life? This man didn’t clock out. I knew that, but hell, I really wished he could.
I truly didn’t think my last horrific relationship had made me bitter, but maybe it had, and I didn’t recognize it.
By the time I’d gotten into my satin pajama set and reheated and eaten the leftover takeout I’d ordered for the girls, they’d put on The Notebook, and I was ready to drift off to sleep.
Today had been a long day of work and everything that came with it. I yawned, unsure I’d make it through the first half of the next movie the girls had lined up for the night, and I settled further into the couch when the doorbell rang.
Amelia glanced toward the front entry. “Are you expecting someone?”
I frowned. “No.”
Three firm knocks followed, and my stomach flipped.
“There’s no way,” I said, first hoping then doubting that it was Titus.
“Who else would it be? One of our imaginary boyfriends?” Jessica said with a laugh.
I stood up and walked to the door, opened it, and every horrible, insecure thought I’d had since reading Titus’s cancellation text vanished the second my eyes met his.
A rush of warm energy washed over me, instantly removing the toxic thoughts and criticism I had earlier about a relationship with this man.
Titus’s suit jacket was gone, and his tie was nowhere to be found. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, and his dark hair looked slightly disheveled, as though he’d spent the better part of the day running his hands through it.
More importantly, he looked exhausted.
“Hey,” I smiled. “This is a much-welcomed surprise.”
A slow smile appeared. “I’ve missed you, and I couldn’t end my day without at least kissing you good night before I went home.”
I blinked. Wow. I swallowed the lump in my throat and inwardly hated myself for letting those triggered feelings flood in after receiving his text.
“I thought you were stuck in meetings,” I said.
His eyes roamed over my pajamas. “Eventually, the meeting ended.”
“You drove all the way here just to kiss me goodnight?” I said with a laugh of disbelief.
“I may have broken several traffic laws.”
Another laugh escaped me, and I heard the girls gasp behind me. Titus glanced over my shoulder.
“Good evening, ladies.”
Amelia immediately lit up, and Jessica looked equally amused.
“Do either of you mind if I join you for…” He studied the paused image of a scene in The Notebook.
“Not at all,” Amelia said.
Jessica pointed to the takeout on the counter. “There’s leftover pasta if you want Cat to heat a plate for you?”
His eyes met mine. “If you show me where your plates are, I can reheat it myself.”
“You sure you know how to use a microwave?” Amelia said with a laugh.
“I’ve got it,” I rolled my eyes. “Follow me,” I said to Titus. “The wine glasses are over there, if you want a glass.”
“All I want is you,” he said in a tired yet humorous voice.
His gaze found mine after he poured a glass, and his plate was heating up in the microwave. His expression was softer, and fuck… those eyes.
“I’m extremely happy you showed up tonight,” I admitted, gently kissing his perfectly soft lips.
“I missed you,” he said, pulling me close as he leaned against the counter. “I wasn’t going home alone without at least seeing you first. It was hard enough to cancel dinner reservations on you.”
I ran my hand along his jawline, “After watching all these chick flicks tonight, I think I needed you to stop by after canceling on me tonight, too.”
“It was the chick flicks that made you miss me?” he chuckled after the microwave went off. “Damn.”
“It wasn’t just that,” I said. “It’s reassuring that you did. Call me weird, I guess.”
“I will call you my lover, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, but I will never call you weird, Catalina.”
“Let me get your plate before I jump your bones right now,” I teased.
He laughed, but his tired, amused, yet seemingly fulfilled expression stole the oxygen from my lungs, and I couldn’t have been any happier in this moment.
A few hours later, the girls had gone to bed, and it was just me curled into Titus, absorbing the man’s powerful presence and strong arms securely holding me. I had my legs draped over his lap while the TV played something we weren’t paying attention to in the background.
I glanced at the clock. Midnight. Already? “Damn. It’s super late. I guess you should probably go.”
The words left my mouth without conviction.
Titus didn’t even look up from where he was lazily tracing circles on my calf.
“No.”
I smiled. “No?”
“No.”
He sounded entirely unconcerned.
“Titus.”
His eyes finally lifted. “What?”
“You have a house.”
“I do.”
“You have a very large house.”
“I do. And a penthouse suite waiting for me in Los Angeles.”
“And there, you have an extremely comfortable bed.”
His mouth twitched.
“I do.”
Eventually, I laughed. “You’re impossible.”
“I’ve been informed.”
His hand slid into mine, and his expression softened. “I don’t want to go home tonight.”
The honesty in his voice immediately stole the teasing response from me.
“Why not?”
For a moment, he simply looked at me.
Then he finally spoke, “Because I spent the last week falling asleep without you in my arms and waking up wishing you were there.”
My heart clenched. “Titus—”
“I spent the last forty-eight hours in meetings.” His thumb brushed over my knuckles. “I canceled dinner.” Then he frowned. “I hated canceling dinner on you, preciosa.”
“I know.”
“I know you know.” His gaze held mine. “But I still hated it.”
Something about the way he said it made my chest ache. Hearing the disappointment in his voice made it easy to see that he’d wanted the evening too.
Maybe more than I realized.
“I just want to fall asleep with you in my arms.” His hand tightened around mine, his eyes never leaving mine. “And when I wake up tomorrow morning, I want you there.”
I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. When I pulled back, his forehead rested against mine.
“You know,” I whispered, “for a ruthless businessman, you’re alarmingly sweet.”
His arms slid around my waist. “Don’t tell anyone.”
I laughed. “Your reputation?”
“Of course.”
“And by the way,” I settled deeper into his embrace, “I want the very same thing you do.”
The look that crossed his face was worth everything, as if there were nowhere else in the world he’d rather be. And for the first time all week, I suspected we’d both fall asleep exactly where we wanted to be.