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The second Sophie’s eyes filled, Zach cursed. “Don’t cry. There’s nothing to cry about.”
A smile spread across her face as a tear slid down her cheek. “After all this time, you and Liam may have a chance at a relationship not centered around bitterness and guilt. I’m so glad you guys talked, so happy Brock was there to witness this, even though he has no idea what a milestone he witnessed.”
It wasn’t news that Sophie had forgiven him long ago. She’d never blamed him, never acted as if he’d ruined her life or held a grudge for that night. Proof she was a better person than he was, because if the tables were turned, he honestly didn’t know if he could do the same.
“Were you ever angry with me?” he asked before he could stop himself. “I know you never took your anger out on me. Maybe because I avoided you for so long after the accident, but did you ever hate me?”
Blinking the tears away, Sophie shook her head. “Never.”
“How could you not?” he whispered.
Propping herself up on her elbow, her head resting on her fisted hand, she reached out and traced the back of his scarred knuckles. “Because of this. You never intentionally hurt us, and when I woke up after my surgeries at the hospital, I was told you busted out the glass to go get help. You saved my life. You saved Liam’s life.”
Zach swallowed the lump of guilt. He was moving on, airing out the past, and guilt had no place . . . not if he wanted a future with this beautiful, forgiving woman at his side.
“Had I not been showing off, had I let Liam drive like he’d asked, I wouldn’t have had to worry about saving your lives.”
Zach had replayed that night so many damn times over the last decade. Liam had been perfectly sober, but Zach had a new truck and wasn’t about to let Liam drive it. Hell no, not when Sophie had been smiling at him all night, and Zach figured once they dropped Liam off there might be more than just flirting.
But that never happened.
“I’m sorry I turned you away when you came to see me,” he went on. If they were going to pull everything out into the open, he needed to dredge up every single aspect. “I was humiliated. I didn’t want you to see me there, and I had no clue how you’d react once you saw me. Had I looked at you and seen hate, I don’t think I could’ve gotten through that year. I knew in my heart I’d never have a chance with you, but I just couldn’t handle knowing you hated me.”
Sophie slid her hands over his shoulders, easing him back down onto the pillow. Her entire body covered his as she rested her elbows on either side of his head and looked him straight in the eye.
“I have never hated you. Ever. I’ve loved you since the moment we met. I loved how you treated Chelsea like she was precious, and then you were a hard-ass with your brothers. I loved how you made me feel, like you were interested in me but weren’t quite sure how to approach me. You were everything from tough to vulnerable, and I loved every single layer.”
Sophie slid her lips over his, straddling his hips before sitting up. “I don’t want to talk about the past. I want to live right here, right now with you in my bed and know that we have a future.”
Before he could respond, her doorbell rang. Sophie jerked as if she’d been caught doing . . . what? This was her own house and if she wanted to spend her morning making love, then she had every right.
“Expecting company?” Zach asked, quirking a brow.
“No.”
Sophie contemplated ignoring the uninvited guest, but the bell chimed again.
“Seriously,” she muttered, climbing out of bed. She jerked her robe off the hook on the back of her door and threw it on, knotting it in a hurry. “I’ll be back. Don’t move.”
Zach laced his hands behind his head and smiled. With the sheet draped around his waist, his ink and his muscular chest on display, Sophie had a hard time turning to leave.
Flynn was stretching in the hall as the doorbell chimed for a third time. Who in the world needed to see her at nine o’clock on a Saturday morning? Clearly someone who had no manners.
The second she flicked her lock and eased her door open, her heart stopped.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t home.”
Sophie had to step aside as her mother and father charged right through her door. But when her mother gasped, Sophie glanced down the hall and spotted Zach wearing nothing but a sheet wrapped around his waist.
Wasn’t this going to be fun?
Chapter Twenty
“Mom, Dad, if you want to sit in the living room I’ll be right back.” Because excusing yourself to go get underwear on and have your lover put on clothes was perfectly normal. “Give me five minutes.”
“Sophie Ann,” her mother gasped. “Tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”
Sophie couldn’t help but laugh as her mother’s wide eyes darted to Zach. Her father crossed his arms, his jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. Yeah, they were angry, but this was her house, her life, and if she wanted to sleep with Zach then that was really none of their business.
