“Wow.” She shakes her head, like she’s having a hard time wrapping her head around all of this.
“Yeah. Wow,” I agree.
“I’m sorry she did that.”
“I’m sorry I slept with her to hurt you. Guess that’s what I get.”
“No one deserves to be tricked like that. I knew she was capable of a lot, but this was too far, even for her.”
“She’s not our problem anymore. I made it very clear that I never want to see her again.”
“Kind of a hard feat in a town this small.”
“Oh, I have no doubt we will see her around. But as far as I’m concerned, she’s vapor- invisible. After what she tried to pull...”
“You’re not the father,” she repeats like she’s just now processed what I’m telling her.
“No.” I shake my head.
“So what does that mean for us? I meant what I said at your house. I don’t feel like I know you anymore.”
“Only you do. I’m not saying I haven’t changed over the last seven years. Of course I have, and so have you. But at my core, I’m still the same person I’ve always been. And I still love youtoday the way I loved you back then—that has not changed. I want you in my life, London. I want you with me always.”
“What if I hurt you again?”
“What if I hurt you? We can’t live our lives with what-ifs.” I rest my forehead against hers. “Do you love me?”
“More than anything,” she admits without hesitation.
“Do you want to be with me?”
“More than anything.” Again, not a second of hesitation.
“Then the rest will work itself out,” I reassure her. “Nothing has felt right since the day you left and it took me a very long time to reconcile with why that is.” I pause for a long moment. “Because you are a part of me, LV. You always have been. And when you left, you took that part with you. I haven’t been whole since. At least, not until you walked back into my life two months ago. That’s why I was so angry. Because I knew, after everything, there would only ever be you, and that thought terrified me because how do you stake your very happiness on someone who made it clear you weren’t enough?”
“You were always enough. Always,” she repeats, taking my face in her hands. “And I’ll spend the rest of forever proving that to you.”
“The rest of forever?” I smile.
“If you’ll have me.” She nods softly.
“Have you? LV, you’re already mine. Not a single day has passed that you weren’t mine. I’m just glad that you now know it too.”
“So now what do we do?”
“Well, for starters...” I lean in and press my mouth to hers.
EPILOGUE
London
ONE YEAR LATER...
“Very good, Lacy. Perfect form, Olivia. Just like that, Grace.” I walk down the line of girls. “Third position.” The class shifts. “And fifth.” Again, they move in unison.
“Is it just me or is this dance teacher a drill sergeant?”
I glance to the right just in time to see Penn land an elbow to Alec’s stomach.
