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Tears well up in my eyes. “But the article—”
“Wasn’t your fault,” Blake finishes for me.
“You can’t say that.”
“I can. I am. It was horrible when it happened. I didn’t want my secrets out there, and I hated myself for confiding in you. But I’ve learned that my demons’ strength lay in the secrecy. And now that it’s out there, nothing can hurt me anymore. No one can hold it over me.”
I swallow hard, trying to understand what he’s saying. Because it sounds a lot like he’s forgiving me for it, and I’m not sure how that happened.
“I was resigned to living my life without you,” I admit. “Even when I feel… everything I feel.”
“And what do you feel?” he asks.
He’s still so close to me. All I can breathe is his cologne. His warmth envelopes me and it makes it hard to think straight. He’s being so nice, so kind.
So logical.
It’s everything I wanted from him.
“I’m in love with you,” I whisper.
“I’m relieved to hear that,” Blake says with a smile. “Because I’m in love with you, too. It would have been awkward after this charade just to get to you if you ended up not wanting me in your life.”
Despite myself, I laugh.
“Do you really want a whole family wardrobe?”
“Maybe not right now,” he says. “But soon, if you’ll have me and we figure this out together.”
He pulls me closer so that I’m pushed up against him, and a shiver runs over my body.
“Okay,” I say. “I’ll keep it on file for you, and when we get there, we can revisit.”
He grins. “That’s very professional of you.”
“I only have one condition,” I say.
“What’s that?”
“I don’t want you to pay me for it. I don’t want to be someone you pay to keep in your life so that you can hire or fire as it suits you.”
Blake nods. “That’s fair enough. I was hoping I could get a free perk out of this whole deal.”
I laugh again and shake my head. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe after all the heartache and pain, after being convinced I would have to do it all alone, that Blake is right here, telling me he loves me.
“You’re sure about this?” I ask. “A relationship, kids, a family?”
Blake brushes my hair out of my face, hooking it behind my ear.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” he says.
And then he kisses me.
Chapter 33
Blake
After Rachel finishes up at the office, I take her back to my place. I want to spend as much time with her as I can. I want to get as close to her as I can.
