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At least, I hope there won’t be. I don’t want to spend the rest of my career working alongside a woman who hates me. Especially when she is all I’ve ever wanted.
As I reach my apartment building, I hum to myself and head for the elevator. Today is going to be a good day if I have anything to say about it. Breakfast in bed, and then hopefully Jessie will want to spend the rest of the day in bed.
Even if she doesn’t, I would gladly spend the rest of the day racing around the city with her and having a good time.
I’m in over my head. And I like it.
The elevator reaches my floor, the doors sliding open. I make my way down the hall, grinning as I unlock the door and step inside. My mouth drops open when I see Jessie in the middle of the living room, hopping around as she pulls her pants up.
Her eyes narrow as she pulls her shirt over her head. “Where were you?”
I set the bagels and coffee on the counter before kicking off my boots. She doesn’t move as I shrug my jacket off. The way she looks at me is filled with suspicion, as if she doesn’t quite trust what’s going on in front of her.
“I went to get us breakfast. I thought you would be hungry and in desperate need of coffee when you woke up.” I pull my coffee out of the tray and take a sip, savoring the taste as it hits my tongue. “Where are you going?”
Jessie’s cheeks flush a bright pink as she pulls her shirt down a little. “I thought you had ditched me again, so I was getting ready to let myself out.”
It feels like she’s driven a knife through my chest. “Jessie, leaving that night is one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made. Hell, it’s probably the biggest.”
Jessie sucks her bottom lip into her mouth before exhaling hard. “I’m sorry. When I didn’t see you anywhere in the apartment, I thought that you snuck out and it put me right back there. I looked around for a note, but I didn’t find any, and then everything started circling around in my head.”
I put down my coffee and walk over to her. As I stand in front of her, guilt claws at me. I run my fingers through her hair, smoothing it back from her face. She looks up at me, hesitancy shining in her eyes. I hate that I gave her a reason to doubt me.
“Jessie, I’m not leaving. Not this time.”
She nods, looking me over before her gaze darts to the food on the counter. “I see that. I’m sorry. I said that I was over thinking of you as an asshole. Old habits die hard I guess.”
I smile down at her, but it hurts to know that she so easily slips back into thinking that I’m going to leave. There’s no way I’m going to be able to change her mind about me in a day, but I’m going to do my best to show her that I want her.
“I was an asshole back then, and the least I could have done today was leave you a note. I should have left you a note. You had no reason to believe that I was going to be back, when the last time I left you sleeping in bed you didn’t see me again for a while.”
Jessie nods, the hesitancy in her eyes starting to fade as she reaches up and brushes her fingertip against my cheekbone. “You had an eyelash.”
I grin as she holds the eyelash up to me. “You know that wishes on eyelashes are just some old wives tale, right?”
“What can it hurt?” She shrugs and wiggles the finger slightly. “Make a wish.”
I wish that Jessie would let go of the past and give me a chance. I wish that we could move forward and create a beautiful life together.
I wish that those weren’t only wishes.
I blow the eyelash off the tip of her finger. “There. Wish made. Happy?”
She smirks and nods. “Very much so. What did you wish for?”
“I’m not telling you that.” I cup her face and tilt it up to mine. “I know it scared you when I wasn’t here when you woke up. I’m not the man I was all those years ago, Jessie. I’m sticking around this time.”
“You promise?” she asks, a slight waver to her voice. “Because I need to know, Brookes. I can’t do this if I have to wake up in the mornings and wonder if you left for good.”
“I promise.” I kiss her softly, my lips moving against hers. When I pull back, I smile down at her. “You’re going to wish you could get rid of me.”
11
JESSIE
You would not believe the night I had the other night. One word. Damn.
You lucky bitch. You’re gonna have to tell me everything
