Chapter24
Today was an exceptional day.Surrounded by her coworkers in the break room, Anika celebrated a professional milestone. She now owned a minor stake in Davenport Design Studio, giving her the right to participate in decision-making and share in profits. This also garnered her a new role as a senior designer, working strictly with the firm’s high-endclients.
The fact that Laura had relinquished part of her company was nothing short of a miracle. She’d built the design firm from the ground up, but even more surprising, Anika learned during one of their private meetings that Laura intended to sell her a larger share of the company as time went on, if she was interested. She was definitelyinterested.
Laura stood at the front of the room and smiled at Anika with affection in her eyes. “I can’t say enough how much I appreciate your dedication to this firm. You’ve shown it every day through your hard work, and our clients can’t stop singing your praises. From the day I hired you, I knew you’d do great things, and you far exceeded my expectations. Now we get to be partners, and I can’t wait to see what the futureholds.”
“Thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity,”Anikasaid.
“Cheers!” the staff yelled, lifting glasses of champagne intheair.
Anika struggled to get into a cheery mood. Four days had passed since her confrontation with Reed, and not once had he called or come by her house. Now his absence confirmed what she’d feared—that his love was conditional. That he couldn’t really love her the way she wanted—the way she needed. Just asshewas.
She did her best not to think about him. The memories were too painful. She missed him too much—their closeness, their compatibility. They’d shared so many intimate moments—laughing at silly jokes, holding hands,cuddling.
Even worse, she didn’t only miss him. She missed Brielle, too, with her giggles, the way she organized her stuffed animals, and the guileless trust in her brown eyes. If she could have a daughter, she’d want her to have Brielle’spersonality.
Anika sipped champagne from her flute and mustered a grin, even as the painful truth twisted inside her. “Okay, time for the sweet stuff.” She cut into the cake, covered in buttercream frosting andCongratulationsAnikawritten in red letters. This was only the first part of the celebration. The staff planned to meet for dinner and drinks after work. She wished she could get out of it, but as the guest of honor, that wasimpossible.
“Well, hellothere.”
Laura spoke in an unnaturally high-pitched voice, and Anika turned away from her conversation with Edgar to see Reed and Brielle standing insidetheroom.
Reed wore a black shirt and black pants. A fine growth of hair covered the lower part of his face. She hadn’t heard from him in days, and then he shows up looking so good. Dark, brooding, andyummy.
Brielle was adorable with her hair parted in the middle and styled into Minnie Mouse buns. She vaguely wondered if Reed or Mrs. Miller had doneherhair.
“Hi, Laura. I came to talk to Anika.” His eyes never leftAnika’sface.
“Is everything okay?” Laura asked in the same odd-sounding voice. “Is there something we can help you with?” Laura was an excellent businesswoman and visionary when it came to design, but she was a terrible actress. She’d obviously beenexpectingReed.
Anika set down her plate and glass with shaky hands. “We can go to my office,” she offered. She did not want a public display of whatever Reed hadplanned.
He shook his head and walked farther into the room, his little sidekick coming along with him, clutching her denim jacket closed over a lavender T-shirt. “We need to talk, but what I have to say needs to be said in front of yourcoworkers.”
Seized by panic, Anika shook her head vehemently. No way she wanted her dirty laundry to play out in front of the staff, and she couldn’t believe Reed would put her in such a position. “Please let’s go to my office. This is not the place and certainly not the time for whatever you haveplanned.”
“Here and now is the perfect time and place to make a public declaration of my loveforyou.”
Someone in the back gasped. Quiet descended on the room, and Anika held her breath. Bewildered, she could only stare at Reed, heart hammering at a violentspeed.
He stepped closer and spoke in an even, quiet tone. “I messed up seven years ago when I walked out of your life. I thought it was the right decision, but I was wrong. Biggest mistake I’ve ever made. I’d lived most of my life not having any responsibility or concern for anyone or the future. I couldn’t accept how much you meant to me until it wastoolate.”
Anika’s heart raced even faster, but she remained very still as she listenedtohim.
“We want the same things. We’re more similar than we are different. I know you love me, and I love you. I loved you then and I love you now. To prove that, Brielle has something toshowyou.”
Brielle stepped up, her cheeks bright with color, her brown eyes glowing with excitement. She opened her jacket and Anika’s eyes landed on the gold letters written on the lavender T-shirt:Pleasesayyes.
Reed lowered to one knee and held open a red box with a diamond solitaire sparkling inside. Gasps and a series of ahhs filledtheroom.
Anika’s hands flew to her mouth. “What are you doing? What are you doing, Reed?” She wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. This couldn’t be happening. Nottoher.
“Proving to you that you’re all I need. Just you. There’s no sacrifice in being with you, sweetheart. The only sacrifice would be if I lost you.” The sincerity in his eyes tightened the hold on her heart. “Anika, will you marry me?Please.”
Choked with emotion, Anika remained frozen in place. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. This was it. Reed wanted and loved her—Anika. She was enough. She wasn’t broken. She was whole in hercurrentform.
“Are you sure,because—”
“I’m sure.” He meant it. She could see it in his eyes. “And I need an answer quickly because my knee is starting to hurt.” Hegrinned.
Her face crumbled as she nodded. “In that case, yes, I’llmarryyou.”
Her coworkers erupted into cheers, and Anika rushed over to Reed, cupping his face and kissing him hard on the mouth. He rose to his feet with his arms around her thighs and lifted her in the air, devouring her lips in a sweet, sultry kiss that made their audience cheer evenlouder.
Happiness swelled in her chest. “God, I love you,” she whispered. “You knew, didn’t you? How did you guess that Ilovedyou?”
“It was obvious it hurt you to leave me, but you did it anyway because you thought that was best for me.” The corners of his blue eyes crinkled as he smiled. “And because you never said youdidn’t.”
She kissed him again to loud applause as Brielle danced around them, chanting repeatedly, “She said yes. Shesaidyes.”
