“This was made with love,” Gabe said, touching the corner of the old collage, the one that showed them between the ages of six and eighteen. “I saw the ‘best friends’ part, but I didn’t see everything else that went into it. I was too caught up in my own unrequited love story. And then when we finally... I thought it was too late, because I was already leaving.”
His gaze shifted to hers, and she saw love there, but also fear. “Is it too late, Mich?”
She swallowed, glancing down at the new collage.Part of me will always be waiting for you.Did he even need to ask?
“Too late for what?” After the way he’d left, she wouldn’t make this easy on him. Even though the story he’d sent had broken her heart and put it back together all over again.
He set the papers aside and took her hands in his. “For me tolove you,” he said softly. “I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to tell you that I—”
“I love you,” she blurted out, then grinned at his look of surprise.
“I was trying to say it first,” he protested.
“Sorry not sorry. You took too long. Now kiss me, you marble-faced nerd.”
She leaned in, and the first touch of his tongue on hers opened the floodgates on her feelings. She’d been so scared she’d never feel this again. Never touch him or taste him again. So she poured all that fear, all her love, into the kiss. They were gasping and groping at each other by the time they finally came up for air.
“You left me again,” she whispered against those soft, soft lips.
“I’m sorry. That was the last time. I promise.” He pressed his forehead to hers, like he had when they’d argued by the front door that first morning. It felt like ages ago. So much had changed since then.
Except her feelings for him. She still wanted him. Still loved him. Still didn’t want him to leave her.
His magic fingers slid around to cup her head, gently massaging the back of her neck and releasing the tension she carried there. “I was stupid. I thought I had to go through it alone.”
“You don’t, Gabe. You only have to be alone if you want to.” Which was something she’d figured out for herself too.
“I know that now.” He traced his thumb over the curve of her cheek. “I worried I was going to be too late. That I’d fucked up too much. And then I got your collage.”
“When did you get it?”
“Yesterday. Right after I sent you the fanfic.”
She smiled. “You put your heart in an email, and I put mine in a cardboard tube.”
He nodded. “Thank you for waiting for me to figure my shit out. I’m sorry it took so long.”
She shrugged. “I had my own shit to figure out too.”
“There’s also something else I need your help with.”
“What’s that?”
“You made me realize a lot of things about myself and my business. Your concept was perfect—for what I’d originally intended the gym to be. But it got away from me. I wasn’t doing what I’d set out to do. Your presentation helped me decide to sell. No, wait, that’s not quite right. I decided to sell because I finally realized my dad was right, and I couldn’t do it alone. But you helped me realize that it was the right choice for me.”
He pulled out his phone and showed her some property listings—in the Bronx.
She looked up at him in shock. “You’re going to stay?”
“Yeah. At least, most of the time. I still need to go back to California a few days each month to work with the clients who want to stay with me.”
Michelle threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.
He’d come back. He was staying. It was all she’d wanted.
“I started a business,” she murmured.
Gabe eased her back. “You did what?”
