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She burst into tears. Hugging the envelope to her chest, she sobbed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
This had happened before on this day. But in her heart of hearts, Dani suspected something was different. Part of her might’ve still been apologizing for not opening his letter. Part of her might’ve still been apologizing for getting to live while Anthony didn’t. The tears came harder until her throat was so strained she barely made any noise at all. She just rocked herself with a shaking hand to her mouth, while tears streamed down her face.
Because this year, if she was being honest with herself, she knew something was different.
Part of her was also apologizing…for falling in love with another man.
And as much as that was a beginning, it was also an ending—an ending that meant it was finally time to let Anthony go.
Dani cried so hard and for so long that she crumpled over until she was lying in a ball against one arm rest, tears finally drained along with every bit of her energy. Blessedly, she fell asleep.
Knock, knock, knock.
She startled awake and had no idea what day or time it was. The blackness on the other side of her windows told her she’d been asleep for hours.
Knock, knock, knock.
“I’m coming,” she tried to call, but her voice was little more than a froggy croak.
She untangled herself from the blanket and tossed it aside, and then she stumbled to the door in the darkness. She had just enough presence of mind to peer through the peephole—and it was Sean she found standing on the other side.
Still disoriented, Dani opened the door. “Sean?”
His gaze did a complete once-over of her, making her realize she had no recollection of what she was even wearing. She looked down at herself—oh, right. An old gray army T-shirt that just barely covered her underwear…and nothing else.
She raked a hand through the rat’s nest of her hair. “Uh, come in,” she said, leaving him standing in the doorway as she retreated into her apartment and turned on the lamp next to the couch. She grimaced at the stack of used tissue that littered the coffee table. A few had tumbled to the carpet. But as he was already surveying the scene, it didn’t make a lot of sense to try to hide the evidence of her sob-fest now. “Sit down if you like,” she said, increasingly aware that he hadn’t said a word yet. “Let me just, uh…” She thumbed over her shoulder. “Just gimme a minute.”
He nodded. “Take your time, D.”
She gave him a look long enough to take in just how freaking hot he was, even wearing just a pair of cargo shorts and a plain white T-shirt that highlighted the bulk of his shoulders and the muscle of his thighs. And did that man ever give good forearm. But she really didn’t want to be thinking about Sean Riddick’s hotness. Or his arm porn. Not today of all damn days.
Dani closed herself inside her bedroom and heaved a deep breath. She pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and then grabbed her phone off the nightstand. In the adjoining bathroom, she flicked on the light and made a face at her own reflection. Because the way she looked right now had to be in the dictionary next to “hot mess”. Jesus. Her eyes were puffy and her skin was blotchy and her hair was all over the place.
She brushed her hair and teeth and held several handfuls of cold water against her eyes, but there was really no help for the bags hanging under them. For the time being, this was as good as she was gonna get.
Taking one last moment to collect herself, Dani woke up her phone to check her messages. The lock screen read:
12:04 AM
Friday, July 4
She gasped. The anniversary was over. Competing reactions coursed through her. First, that she’d survived this day she so dreaded for another year. Second, that she felt less awkward having Sean here—and ogling all his hot-as-fuckness—now that it wasn’t the anniversary. And, third…well, fuck.
Third was that Dani felt a little disappointed in herself for not opening Anthony’s letter.
It was time. She wouldn’t even beat herself up by saying it was long past time. Grief wasn’t a state, it was a process. For better or worse, all of this had been her process. And it was a process that ultimately led to her being able to fall in love again, something she’d thought—no, insisted—she’d never again do. Even though the prospect of loving someone remained kinda freaking terrifying, it was Sean. Somehow he’d gotten behind or over her walls and made it so that loving him just felt…right.
The thought made her lean against the counter. Holy crap, she was in love. In love with the sexiest, bravest, funniest, snarkiest, dorkiest, most infuriating and most caring man she knew.
