“I’m not rushing you,” I say. “I’m not asking you for anything. I will never hurry you to do anything that you don’t want to do because I have the next fifty years to wait, baby. And I will if that’s what it takes.”
Her hand falls to the side as a smile inches its way slowly across her face.
Thank God.
“Don’t cry,” I say. “There’s nothing to cry about. Take your time and come home when you’re ready. Ryder and I will be waiting.”
I turn to go when she stops me.
“Nate.”
I hold my breath, hoping for what feels like a miracle, and turn around.
She sets the pancake on a table by the door. Her hand trembles the whole time. Finally, she takes a breath, recentering herself.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t talk this out with you,” she says softly. “That wasn’t fair. Actually, it was rude.”
“Talk to me now. Remember, I can’t read your mind.”
We grin at each other, remembering the last time I told her that. The night she gave me her body.
“I went into your office the other day and walked on in like I always do, because I know no boundaries, and … I saw the rings on your computer.”
The rings?
What the hell is she talking about?
“I panicked. I’d had lunch with a friend and she’d gotten into my head because apparently, I’m not self-confident enough, despite the shit-talking I do, to … believe in me.” She smiles sadly. “This was never about you, Nate. This was always about me.”
“My boyfriend told me last night that he wants to propose to me and asked me to find a ring.”
Motherfucker.
“Can we back up and go back to the rings?”
She cringes. “I know things have been going fast between us and they’ve been great. So I understand why you might’ve thought I was ready to be engaged and that’s my fault if I put that vibe out but—”
“Hey, Paige,” I say, fighting a smile.
“What?”
“I’d marry you today. Right now. I’m there. But that ring you saw on my computer? That wasn’t for you.”
She lifts her brows.
“Kira’s boyfriend is proposing or something and, she and Shaye wanted to look at it on a bigger screen. So they came in and did whatever they were doing—driving me crazy, mostly—and I forgot to exit out of the website.”
It takes a minute for her to process what I said.
Her shoulders fall forward. Her jaw drops. Her eyes go wide.
I grin. “Communication is key.”
“Oh, my gosh. Are you telling me I’ve been freaking out for nothing?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say for nothing. Now I know to maybe never propose.”
She half-laughs, half-cries. “I’m so humiliated.”
I can’t help it. I laugh.
I laugh, even though she tried to ruin us. Even though she nearly killed me. Even though Ryder was heartbroken this morning.
I can do that because it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.
“What do I …” she stammers. “I don’t know what to say. I’m so embarrassed and you must think—”
“I can tell you what to do. And what to say. And I can share what I think.” My lips twitch. “But I’d really like to hear it from you.”
She pauses as if she’s not sure how to respond—like she actually needs to think about it. Is she for real right now?
“Paige, for fuck’s sake, I’m dying over here.”
She taps her chin with her fingertip as if she’s lost in thought. Little minx.
“Fine,” I say, completely over this. “You’re coming home. You tell me you love me. I think it’s terrible that you carry so much fear over being happy, but I will try for the rest of my life to make you believe in forever.”
She drops her hand and grins. “I was actually just thinking about make-up sex. I heard it’s the best and I was wondering if you were going to make love to me or fuck me hard in the—ah!”
I pick her up and toss her over my shoulder.
“That’s it. We’re going home,” I say, turning towards the door.
“My pancake! Don’t forget my pancake!”
I roll my eyes and move her closer to the plate.
“You take it. I can’t carry it upside down,” she says.
I slide her slowly down my front, chest to chest, and capture her mouth with mine on the way.
Having her in my arms again, where she belongs, reignites a fire inside me that burned out when she left.
“Oh, crap! I’m supposed to be waiting on a package for Hollis.”
“I think I am the package,” I say with a grin. “Now, what about your stuff?”
She smiles as she looks into my eyes. “We can come back.”
“Are you sure?”
“I have to show you how sorry I am,” she teases, dragging a finger down my chest.
“I’m pretty fucking hurt. It might take a long time.”
“Then we better get going.”
“Okay.”
I pick her up again. This time I hold her in my arms so I can see her face.