Chapter 24 #2
"What about the apartment upstairs? Should we decorate that?" Belle asked.
Clara shook her head. "She wasn't planning on moving in right away."
"If everything goes right tonight, I'm hoping she'll stay with me."
"We're rooting for you," Clara said softly.
"One more thing." Meg pulled out a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a charcuterie board of cheese, meats, and fruit.
"You didn't have to do this for me," I said.
"We did it for Reina. She deserves so much after everything she's been through," Clara said.
"I'll agree with you there." The fire would have knocked anyone down, but not Reina. She got back up and kept going. I admired her. I loved her. I missed her. I wanted to come home to her every night if she'd have me.
Clara surprised me with a hug. "Good luck."
"Thanks for everything." They'd thought of things I hadn't.
They filed out as quickly as they'd come in, taking all their boxes and bags with them, leaving me in the soft glow of the twinkling lights.
I went to the bathroom, to ensure I didn't have any dirt or saw dust on my face or clothes.
Then I washed my hands. When I came out, Reina was standing by the fireplace.
There were garland and lights on the mantle and a fire burning in the grate.
My heart rate kicked up. "You're early."
"I saw the lights on and thought you might be here."
"Your friends insisted on decorating. Said the place needed ambiance."
Reina smiled faintly. "They're the best."
I stuffed my hands in my pockets, rocking back on my heels. She was so beautiful in a sundress with her straight hair around her shoulders. "Seems like it."
She turned on her heel and tipped her head to the side. "You want to show me what you've done?"
She'd switched to professional mode, and I matched her tone.
"You chose a soft walnut for the floors that compliments the white and pink on the walls.
" There was a white chair rail on the bottom half, and different shades of vertical pink stripes on the top, one shiny and one flat. It was sophisticated and classy.
She ran her hand over a table. "Aspen was right. The colors complement each other."
"I love the leather seating." The chairs were a soft shade of brown. "Your customers will want to stay for a while."
Reina smiled at me, and my heart skipped a beat. "I hope so."
I moved toward the display case. "Not only is the case larger, but the space behind it is too, so you can move around more easily and maybe even have a drink machine on the counter."
"I love that we could improve the flow with this renovation."
"If you're going to do something, you might as well improve on what you had before." And she'd made me a better person in this process. "You ready to see your kitchen?"
"Yes, please." She stood next to me, so close I could smell the familiar scent of her shampoo. Where was she staying? Was it a permanent move, or was there still room for me in there somewhere.
I pushed open the door to the kitchen and held it open for her to walk through.
She gasped when she saw the gleaming stainless steel. There were additional storage shelves and a row of refrigerators on the side wall. The ovens on the other and a prep island in the middle. All gorgeous lines. No sharp edges.
"This is amazing."
"It's exactly what we talked about." There shouldn't have been any surprises, but she seemed overwhelmed with emotion.
She ran her hand over the steel surface of the counter. "I can't believe it's done, and it's all mine. I can't wait to bake in this kitchen."
"You can start tomorrow morning if you want." Although I was hoping for a lazy morning in bed.
She was so focused on the renovation; I wasn't sure how to broach the subject of us.
"Thank you for your help. If it wasn't for you, it wouldn't be half as good. I would have just restored the kitchen to how it was before. But this is so much better."
If I didn't talk to her now, I'd lose my chance. "I wanted to talk to you about the other night."
Her face pinched.
"I was surprised when Tom walked through the door—"
"We both were," she said simply, meeting my gaze.
My palms felt sweaty. "And I didn't handle it the best. I was more focused on Tom's reaction than yours. I should have stood up for our relationship. For us."
She looked away but not before I saw the raw emotion in her eyes.
Buoyed by her reaction, I rushed to add, "I told Tom that I didn't care what he thought about relationship. That I'm in love with you, and I wouldn't let him come between us anymore."
Her gaze swung back to me. "What did you say?"
"I said Tom won't come between us anymore."
She waved her hand. "No. The other thing."
"I love you." I stepped closer, hoping she wouldn't shut this down. "I was going to tell you that night. I wanted to tell you after we were in bed together but then Tom interrupted, and I lost my chance.
Her brows furrowed. "I didn't know that."
"I was trying to do it at the perfect time, and I was too late. I made you think that Tom was a deciding factor in our relationship, and he's not. I choose you. I choose us."
"Did you tell him that?"
I shrugged. "He's actually fine with us being together, but he doesn't want to know the details."
Her eyes widened.
I took another step forward, needing to be close to her. "I'm sorry that I made you feel less than. I never meant for that to happen. You're the most important person in my life."
She looked up at me, tears shining in her eyes.
"Do you think you could give me another chance? Do you think you could love me back?" It was a big risk, asking her, but I intended to be all in. And there was no turning back now.
She let out a breath. "I already do."
I raised a brow, stepping forward until there were only inches between us. I needed her to spell it out for me. "What are you saying?"
Her lips curved into a smile. "I love you too."
My breath caught. I hadn't expected her to feel the same way. "You do?"
She nodded.
"Are you saying you'll give me another chance to prove that you're the one for me?"
Her lips quirked. "I think I can do that."
My hand dived into her hair, feeling the weight and thickness of it. "I never want to let you go again. I don't want to be apart. Not even for one day. These last couple of weeks were torture."
"I thought you'd never reach out. That you didn't feel the same way as I did. That you chose your friendship with Tom over me."
"You couldn't be more wrong. I wanted to finish the renovation and then ask for your forgiveness. I figured you couldn't back out of the reveal."
She tipped her head to the side. "Nothing could keep me away from this kitchen. Or you."
I pulled her closer. "Can I kiss you now?"
She swayed against me. "Yes, please."
I dropped my lips to hers, closing my eyes and reveling in the feel of her mouth moving under mine. Soft music played over the speakers. I was right where I was supposed to be, in this kitchen with the love of my life.
I couldn't believe I'd almost lost everything. But now I had a second chance, and I wasn't going to do anything to mess it up.