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“What?” I ask, assuming he is looking at all my flaws and is about to criticize me.
“You look beautiful.”
I blush. “Stop it. I do not. I look like a mess.”
He tucks a strand of hair, which I’m sure is covered in grease, behind my ear. “You look beautiful because I’ve never seen you stronger.”
I bite my lip. I can’t believe he just said that.
“It’s true. I never realized how driven you were, how powerful you were, until recently. I’m sorry for that.”
I swallow and try to focus on the road. I can’t have him saying things like that to me right now. Our life is far too complicated. He has to pretend he is with Lily, and my life needs me here right now. We are on opposite coasts. Anything between us could never work.
“Stop analyzing this.”
“I’m not.”
He chuckles. “You are because you don’t know how this could work. But you’ve seen my work. You know I’m one of the best fixers in the world. Just one other person might be better.”
I laugh. “I’m not a fixer. I can’t even fix my own problems.”
“I don’t know about that. I think you’ve been doing a fine job so far, but only because you keep putting yourself last instead of first.”
I exhale deeply, trying to stay calm. Trying not to get my hopes up that something magical is about to happen. Because tha
t’s not my life. My life is one problem after the other. My life isn’t easily fixed. My life is a broken mess.
I pull the car over to the curb outside the school to wait for Sailor to come out. Once she gets into the car, then I’ll be safe. Carter won’t do anything with Sailor in the car.
“Victoria.”
One word, and my heart already betrays me. It starts beating for him. Begging me to let him in.
I look at him. His eyes look deep into mine.
“I love you, Victoria. I’ve always loved you. Since the moment I saw you singing Spice Girls in your bedroom and made me join you. To years later when I realized how many times I’d hurt you. To the moment I saw you again after way too long. There has never been another woman. Only you. I love you.”
Everything in my world stops when he says that he loves me. It’s something I’ve secretly wanted since we were kids. Even when he was torturing me, I still wanted him. There was a connection I didn’t understand.
I feel a tear slipping down my cheek. I’m literally crying because this man just told me that he loves me. I’m ridiculous.
“Aren’t you going to say I love you back?” I hear Sailor’s voice from behind me.
I didn’t even hear her get into the car.
I quickly wipe my tear and turn to Sailor. “How was your day, sweetheart?”
She folds her tough arms across her chest. “I want to hear if you love him first. My day sucked. I could use some good news. I could use another uncle.”
I laugh and turn back to Carter. “I love you, too.”
He grins as he leans forward and softly kisses me on the lips.
I compose myself before I start driving back home.
“I’m Carter,” he says, holding out his hand to Sailor.
“Uncle Carter, you mean,” Sailor says, shaking his hand.
