Chapter 40 #2
The music from Norah’s truck faded behind me as she slowly drove away, but then grew louder the closer I got to Zane and the car.
He had the same exact playlist pouring from a small portable speaker inside the Camaro.
A little cheesy but stupidly effective. Something between a laugh and a sob fell from my mouth before I covered it with both of my hands and walked straight into Zane’s waiting arms. They closed around me and held me tightly as I officially ruined the center of his T-shirt with my tears.
“I’m sorry for being so busy lately,” he murmured against the top of my hair as one of his hands stroked up and down my spine. “But do you like your surprise?”
I nodded into his chest and wound my arms around his middle, clutching the back of his shirt as I sucked in a stuttering breath. I felt him pull back just a little before one of his fingers touched beneath my chin, lifting my face so our eyes could meet.
“You okay?” he asked, so sweetly and so…lovingly as his thumb stroked against my chin.
I swallowed and nodded again. “How?” I hoped he knew what I was asking, because there was no way I was getting out a full sentence right now. Not with all of these tears or the way my emotions were firmly lodged in my throat.
The corner of his mouth lifted. “I offered up my free labor and worked it out with Willy to prioritize getting the Camaro back on the road sooner rather than later.” The other side of his mouth lifted then, too—shifting into something more amused.
“I also kinda dragged Luke into helping. We’ve been working nights and driving all over God’s green earth to get parts.
” He chuckled at that, and it pulled a watery laugh out of me, too.
“I just…” His hand moved, sliding from touching my chin to cupping my jaw.
“It killed me hearing you say how you felt trapped again. How you felt like your choice had been taken away from you.”
My chin wobbled as a tear slipped down my cheek.
“I’ve been told I don’t do hurt in small doses. How I have this…need to feel needed and try to fix things for the people I love so I don’t lose them.”
I swear on the stars above, actual wild horses thundered through my chest.
The hand on my back flexed. “But I want you to know and understand that me fixing the car comes with none of that. I did it because I know this car isn’t just a car to you.
It’s your freedom.” His head tilted to the side as his eyes dipped to my mouth before returning to my gaze.
“It’s what lets you fly instead of feeling caged. ”
A sob fell from my lips as his thumb stroked across my cheek, wiping away another tear.
“Zane…” I said, hating that I was about to ruin such a beautiful moment, but a dark cloud still hovered over all of this.
“I can’t even begin to thank you enough for doing this—for truly giving me back my control, my choice, my freedom—but…
” I licked my lips and worked to settle my shaky voice.
“I still owe Willy for the tire repairs.”
He shook his head and brought his other hand to my face, cupping both cheeks as our eyes locked. “It’s all taken care of.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Zane, what—?”
“I sold my ex’s ring.”
Those wild horses in my chest galloped even harder. “You did what?” I breathed as my eyes darted back and forth between his.
“I sold her ring and used the money to settle your bill. And I’m sorry if I crossed a line by doing that but—”
I didn’t give him a chance to finish. I popped up on my toes and kissed him, choking back a sob so I didn’t cry against his lips. Zane’s fingers tucked into my hair as he kissed me back, caressing my mouth with his before moving to kiss away the tears from my cheeks.
“I’m gonna take that as I didn’t cross a line,” he murmured as our foreheads touched.
“No,” I replied softly, tearfully, and then laughed as I added, “But you’re crazy for doing that.”
“I am crazy,” he said, grinning as he drew back to look at me.
“Crazy about you. I just…” He paused, moving his eyes from mine to watch as his fingers traced along my hairline.
“I just thought…” He licked his lips and drew in a long breath.
“Why am I holding on to something that represents the past when I’ve got the future standing right here in front of me? ”
I felt my chin wobble again.
“Andi…I love you.”
My heart stuttered and then stalled out.
“I’ve been in love with you for a while now, and if you’re not there yet it’s okay, but I just had to tell you—”
“I’m there, Zane,” I said as my heart started beating again. “I’m so, so there. And I love you, too.”
Zane swooped in to kiss me again, sweetly and then playfully as his mouth moved from mine to pepper kisses down my jaw and to my neck—burying his face there and hugging me tightly.
My arms found their way around his neck, and I squealed a laugh when he lifted me and spun us in a circle right there in the road.
“Aren’t you gonna ask why I brought you all the way out here for this?” he asked, a little breathless as he slowed to a stop and let my body slide down his until my feet touched the ground.
“It is an odd location for a grand romantic gesture,” I said, eyeing him suspiciously.
He grinned. “Well, right now you’re standing where you almost ran me over—”
I poked at his side. Jesus, I was never gonna live that down.
“Hang on, let me explain,” he said around a laugh and then inhaled a settling breath. “I was broken down, in more ways than one. And you lost your freedom when all you were trying to do is find Heaven.”
My expression softened as my fingers played with the short hairs tickling his neck.
He shrugged. “This is where two messed-up hearts collided, and now…” His arms tightened around me. “It's where two mended hearts get to stand whole.”
Tears pricked at my eyes again as I smiled at him with so much love in my mended heart—all because of him.
“Am I going to mess up this whole thing if I tell you how glad I am that you never found Heaven?”
A soft laugh trickled out of me along with more tears. “But I did find Heaven.” I moved one of my hands from the back of his neck and down his shirt to rest over his chest. “I found it right here—” I pressed my hand over his heartbeat, “—with you.”