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Everett mutes the TV and comes to my side. “You okay?”
Ainsley gives me a bittersweet smile as she leaves and closes the door behind her.
“It’s a big deal,” I whisper to him, working to process how complicated all this is. It’s a good thing for everyone, but it’s even more final that I’ll never see my dad again.
“It’s a good thing. Really good,” I say, making an effort. “Just still raw, I think.”
“Do you see those guys being locked up?” Everett squeezes my shoulder. “They’re done, finished. You did something that had a domino effect that will save lives. Literally, you saved people’s lives. I hope you’re genuinely proud of yourself, Laina.”
I lean into him, wrapping my arm around his waist.
“Thank you for everything,” I say. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
I am going to be without him so soon though. It’s just a matter of time and then I’ll wake up and he won’t be there and I’ll walk into work and he won’t be there and I’ll wander into the kitchen late at night and he won’t be there. I can’t stop myself from softly crying.
Everett turns us so he can lean back against the desk and hold me. He presses his lips to my hair in a prolonged kiss.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would be sad. If Mr. Delancey finds out I made you cry again, he’s going to get me banned from the building.”
I can’t help but laugh.
“I’m going to miss you so much,” I say.
“Listen,” he says, drawing back enough to look me in the eye. “We’re doing a really brave thing. It’s going to be hard, no way around it. But time will fly. And then one day we’ll be old and sitting in rocking chairs in a quiet corner of the world and it’ll feel like a blip in time that we were ever apart.”
“You’ll still like me enough?” I ask, sniffling.
“Of course. Always,” he says with a laugh that rumbles through his chest. And I take it as a promise.
CHAPTER 20
Two years (minus six weeks) later…
I don’t hear any exclamations. There’s no announcement.
The door swings open, in walks Everett. He kicks the door closed behind him and stares at me, power personified, bridled energy in his dark suit.
I sit behind my desk in stunned silence, my hands frozen on the armrests of my chair.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he says, his voice rough. “Surprise.”
I launch myself out of my chair and take a running jump into his open arms. Plural. I cling to him with my legs wrapped around his waist, thanking myself for choosing wide-legged slacks today. I hug the breath out of him, thrilled to see him again.
Eventually, he taps my butt, signaling that he’d like to get some air in his lungs. I loosen my grip around his neck a bit but stay held in his arms.
“My guy,” I say in his ear. “You’re here.”
The kiss that follows is the sweetest. Our reunion kisses just keep getting better and better. Everett surprising me for the first time just makes it all the more special.
“Okay, I’m putting you down,” he says, walking us over to my desk, where he sets me on the edge closest to him.
“You aren’t supposed to be back for another six weeks,” I remark, pulling on his lapels so I can hold him close enough to sniff his neck again. The way my muscles relax at the smell of his cologne is utterly ridiculous and totally real.
“I have many surprises for you,” he says, kissing my neck. “Oh, you smell good. That is beautiful. I think this might be the one.”
In a late-night round of truth-or-dare during one of our overnight reunions in Europe, Everett finally confessed that after years of sharing close personal space with me, he never liked my Chanel No. 5. I acted offended at first, but truth be told, I was ready for a change too. So I’ve been trying different perfumes each time we meet up. This one, a subtle jasmine and pear scent, was supposed to be debuted in six weeks’ time.
Everett dips his head under my chin, nuzzling under my collar and humming with happiness.
