“Thank you. For coming, and for these.” She glances to the side yard. “I thought we could talk in the garden.” She glances up, her eyes seeking my approval. What she doesn’t realize is I would go anywhere as long as she came, too.
“I like gardens.” I go for silly, and to my delight she flashes another smile.
I follow her through the gate and beneath a tree to a circle of chairs. She waits for me to sit before taking the one across.
I wish she were closer, but this way I’m able to meet her stare. “I’m glad you called. Or, that Lexi called. Did you get my messages?”
She drops her gaze to her lap and spins the bouquet in her hands. “I . . . well, I . . .” She shakes her head and then lifts her stare. “I deleted them all.”
“Oh.” It’s hard to not deflate at the disappointment.
“I was angry. At first.”
I nod. “That’s fair.”
“And then I was sad. Really, really sad.”
I swallow, the pain of her admission hitting me like a ton of bricks. “I’m sorry, Opal.”
She holds my gaze, not wavering in the least. “But now, now I’m confused.”
My brow creases and I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Why are you confused?”
“Because if you really loved me.” Her chin quivers but her voice holds strong. “You could have told me the truth. You could have fought for us.”
Emotion clogs my throat and my eyes burn. I can’t stand the space between us. Not anymore. Closing the distance, I fall to my knees so her eyes are level with mine. “I wanted to. God, I wanted to. But I was so scared to lose you. I thought . . . I don’t know what I thought. I was stupid. So fucking stupid. I should have told you right away. Because I loved you, Opal. And I haven’t stopped.” Tears spring from my eyes, but I don’t need to wipe them away.
She reaches forward, her fingertips brushing away the wetness and caressing my skin.
I close my eyes and lean into her touch. “Please say you’ll forgive me.”
“I do,” she says, her voice rough. “I already have.”
My eyelids fly open and I’m greeted by her smile. The brilliant one that lights up her entire face.
She leans forward and our mouths practically touch. “I love you, too,” she whispers, and then her lips cover mine. Sweet. Perfect. Her. She pulls back but those lines of worry return.
“What is it? What’s the matter?”
“We leave in a few hours. For the next show.”
I nod, understanding. She has to go. “When do you need to leave?”
She glances at the flowers and then my face. “Soon. Now.”
I push to my feet and hold out my hand. We walk back to the front of the house in silence, the reality of our situation settling in the quiet. She’ll be on tour. I have my job here. But I love her too much. We’ll find a way to make this work.
“I wish I could stay,” she says as we reach the door.
“Hey, Opal.” I wait for her to meet my gaze.
“Yeah.”
“Crazy idea here and it might drain half my bank account, but maybe we could catch a flight tomorrow? Meet up with the band there.”
“I—”
The words rush from my lips, honest and true. “I just got you back. I don’t want to let you go, not ever again.”
