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Except that, apparently, he told his sister.
“True.”
“Why, Colin? If this is some kind of ploy to make things up to me after you pushed me out of your life—publicly—I’m not biting. And if you don’t understand why, you don’t know me at all.”
“Junebug…” I reach for her hand, but she snatches it away.
“Don’t.” I wish that this fiery side of her didn’t make me love her even more because I need to take this seriously. But I love her so damn much, it’s all I can see.
“It was never about that. I was never trying to do that. Please believe it.”
She lets out a long, slow exhale and bites down on her lip.
“Please, PJ. Even if you don’t believe anything else that comes out of my mouth, believe that. I would never try to buy your love. I want to earn it.”
She blinks hard. “You lied to me.”
I reach for her hand again and feel her start to tug it back, but I hold on. She relents and lets me intertwine our fingers. I’ve missed the warmth of her so much that it makes my heart ache. I need to make things right, and she’s here, giving me one opportunity. I can’t blow it.
“I never lied to you. No. God, PJ, I love you so much.”
Her eyes go wide. “What?”
I shrug. “It’s a fact. I love you, PJ. I lied to everyone else about it because I wanted to keep it to myself. I didn’t want to share you with the public. And I’m sorry because I know I hurt you in the process.”
Her expression softens, and she squeezes my hand. It’s a tiny thing, but it’s enough.
I feel a semblance of my equilibrium returning, even though this woman can knock me off balance just by smiling at me. I inhale the first full breath I’ve taken since PJ walked out of my office on that day when I thought I knew what I needed.
“I don’t know how to ask you to forgive me. You didn’t deserve how I treated you, and I know you believe people don’t think you’re enough, but I’m here to say that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You’re more than enough. You’re everything.”
She nods. “Thank you for believing that.”
“PJ, I believe it with all my heart.” My words aren’t convincing enough, and I’ve already proven to her that I don’t believe. She has no reason to trust me when I showed I didn’t trust her. I’m just hoping she’ll do it anyway.
“I’m going to work on believing it too.”
My brain buzzes with ideas I’ve had over the past few days since Archer left my house. “I’m not planning on working weekends anymore. Period, end. And since I’m a part owner of Buttercup Hill, I’ll need to spend more time there. And if you can work remotely sometimes, I’ll send the helicopter and set up an office for you at AstroTech or in my apartment?—”
She cuts me off, raising her hand. Her laughter is the prettiest sound I’ve heard in weeks. “Slow down. I believe you. It’s not the number of hours. It’s the quality of the time we spend together, so we’ll start by working on that. Okay?”
“Sweetheart, don’t you know? Every minute I spend with you is quality. All of it.”
I’m about to pull her into my arms when there’s a knock on the door.
The twenty-something PA with the blond braids who escorted me peeks her head in and gives me a thumbs-up.
“They’re ready for you, Mr. Hathaway.”
“Colin,” I correct her. I don’t want to be the unknowable, unreachable asshole who makes people afraid. I don’t know when I became that guy, but he’s not me. I turn and grab PJ’s face, cupping it in my hands. I pull her toward me and kiss her. It’s a hint of all I want to give her and a promise of everything I haven’t thought of yet.
I can tell Chantal is disappointed. So far, our interview has consisted of pleasantries. We’ve talked about the facts and the biographical information people already know about me. She could be reading my Wikipedia page for all the uninteresting stuff we’ve covered.
She’s tried a couple times to delve deeper, but I’m nervous about baring my soul. So I keep pivoting whenever she asks something that digs too deep.
“You made some statements on social media that got you into trouble. How did that feel?”
“Oh, I did the necessary penance, staying out of the limelight and returning everyone’s focus to astrophysics.”
