God, I’ve been a fool, he realized in a sudden epiphany. I’ve been miserable the past months when I should have been doing everything in my power, to move heaven and earth, to give us another chance. I should have shown up on her doorstep ready to serenade her. I should have sent her twenty bouquets of roses. I should have bought a billboard proclaiming my love for her.
He’d been so terrified that he didn’t deserve her that he hadn’t done anything to earn her. Anything so she would give him a second chance. Anything to prove that he wasn’t another shallow Hollywood loser.
Because he wasn’t. There were times when he felt like a screw-up, but not when it came to Elizabeth. No, the way he felt about her: that was the real thing. And he would do whatever was necessary to convince her of that.
Darcy had stopped a few feet from Elizabeth and Garrett, unsure if he should approach. Garrett crossed the distance first, giving Darcy a quick handshake. “Hey, I’m glad I finally have a chance to see you and thank you in person for the sound equipment you sent me. It’s top-notch stuff! I’m loving it.”
Darcy tore his eyes away from Elizabeth long enough give the teen a glance. “Hell, you kept me out of jail; it’s the least I could do.” He was embarrassingly aware that he should have done far more for Garrett: taken him out for dinner, gotten him a job, bought him a house—or at least called to say thank you. But he’d been so overwhelmed at first, and then later it had seemed too late.
Garrett shrugged. “I wouldn’t have known to do it if it hadn’t been for Elizabeth. She’s the one you should thank.”
“What?” Darcy’s mouth fell open.
Garrett’s forehead creased. “Didn’t you know that? She was trying to find a way to prove you were innocent. When she came to me, I realized that I knew the guy who’d lied about seeing you at Lydia’s car.”
“Elizabeth did that?”
“I thought you knew.”
Darcy shook his head. “The police wouldn’t tell me much. I just knew you’d worn a wire.”
“Yeah. It was so cool!” Garrett grinned. “But that was the easy part. Elizabeth did the hard work.”
You could have knocked Darcy over with a feather. All this time he’d assumed she’d been angry. He’d assumed she’d wanted him out of her life, and she was the one he had to thank for his freedom.
“I had no idea,” Darcy said, raising his eyes again to Elizabeth in amazement.
She was staring at him, no doubt completely perplexed by his expression. “Will?” Elizabeth’s one word held a world of questions.
By now, everyone near Darcy and Elizabeth had noticed how they were staring at each other. Every eye was riveted on them. News cameras and fans’ iPhones were trained in their direction, and the space between them had emptied of bodies.
Darcy longed to close the distance between them, take her in his arms, and kiss her for at least an hour before stopping to take a breath. But he didn’t know if she would want him to even kiss her hand. Still, he walked toward her, slowly, one foot at a time carefully placed on the red carpet. Closer and closer, every second fearing she would tell him to stop.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know you helped prove I was innocent. I’m a fool. I should have guessed. I should have called. I should have come to you as soon as I could. And we could have…I should have told you I love you. Because I do. I love you so much. Please don’t tell me I’m too late.”
How was it possible for a woman to appear so worried and hopeful at the same time? “Too late for w
hat?” she asked. “What do you want?”
What did he want from her? Everything. For the rest of his life. But now, in front of thousands of people and millions of television viewers, was probably not the time to discuss that. “Will you be my date to the Oscars?”
He reached out and took her hand. It was warm and soft in his.
A crease formed between her brows. “Don’t you already have a date?”
Darcy had completely forgotten about Caroline. Glancing over his shoulder, he peered through the crowds to see her standing near the ABC reporter, so furious she might start breathing fire.
Garrett was standing off to the side, a pleased but puzzled smile on his face. Darcy caught his eye. “Garrett, would you do me a favor and be Caroline’s date for the night?”
Garrett grinned. “No problem, Mr. D.” Deftly stepping around Darcy, he glided toward Caroline. Darcy immediately lost interest in her.
“So.” Darcy cleared his throat. “I don’t have a date anymore, and neither do you. Will you be my date?”
“For tonight?” she breathed.
All right, he might as well put all his cards on the table. “For the rest of my life.”
The audience gave a collective gasp.