By eight a.m., I was outside Jasper and Corinne’s house. Jasper had already left for work. I rang the doorbell three times, heart hammering. Corinne opened the door, her blond hair a mess, a mug of coffee in one hand, her son Nathan peeking out from behind her legs.
“Ace?” she blinked in surprise. “It’s early. Everything okay?”
“I need to know where Brittany is,” I blurted. My voice cracked, my chest tight. “Please, Corinne. I—I can’t do this anymore. I need to find her.”
Corinne’s eyes softened, but her lips tightened. “Ace…”
I sank to my knees on her front step, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Corinne, please.” My voice broke on the last word. “I love her. I was a damn coward. I let everything—my father, the company, the marriage—bury what we had. I let her walk away, and it was the biggest mistake of my life.”
Nathan toddled forward, his little brow furrowed. “Why you crying, uncle Ace?”
I let out a wet laugh, dragging a shaky hand through my hair. “Because I’m a fool, buddy.”
Corinne crouched down beside me, sighing. She rested a hand on my shoulder. “You really love her?”
“With everything I have.” My voice shook. “I’d give up the company, the money, all of it, just to get one more chance with her.”
Corinne studied me for a long moment. Finally, she stood, walked inside, and came back with a slip of paper.
“She’s in Arkansas,” she murmured. “She’s living with our friend Sylvia from NCPH. Don’t waste this, Ace.”
I grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you so much.”
Nathan clapped his hands. “Yay! No more crying, mister!”
I chuckled, ruffling his hair. “You’re right, champ. No more crying.”
I sprinted to my car like a man on fire.
.
By noon, I was at the airport. I didn’t take the jet—I wanted something quieter, something that didn’t scream CEO on the run. I booked the next flight to Arkansas, barely remembering to text Sierra and my assistant.
“Going to Arkansas. Will explain later. Please kiss Karla for me"
Cancel my meetings—I’m on vacation.”
Sierra texted back almost immediately: “Go. Be happy.”
As I sat on the plane, waiting for takeoff, nerves tore through me. My leg bounced uncontrollably, my palms sweaty. The woman next to me gave me a wary glance, but I barely noticed.
My mind was on Brittany.
Would she slam the door in my face? Would she laugh at me? God, had she moved on—was there someone else holding her at night, someone she smiled at over coffee?
I ran a trembling hand over my face.
I remembered the way her laugh sounded when she teased me. The way she fit against me at night, her head tucked under mychin. The way her eyes sparkled when she was passionate about something, how fiercely she loved, how she called me out when I was being an ass.
I thought about the last time I’d seen her—her face crumpling as I told her goodbye, the way her shoulders shook when she walked away.
My stomach twisted.
The plane began to taxi down the runway, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
Please, I thought. Let me fix this. Let me have one more chance.
As we lifted into the air, I felt tears sting the backs of my eyes.
