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I shook my head. “I should have talked to you and not just yelled at you about cheating on me. I just…I let it be an excuse, too.”
“What?” He turned me to face him.
“I knew I was leaving because I can’t pursue my career path here and I needed a school that had a more specialized program, too. I didn’t want to drag you from your family and your life here. I didn’t think you’d want to go, that you’d hate me for taking you from Sizzle Beach.”
“Breezy…”
“And I blamed you. When it was me, using a convenient suspicion to make things easier for me. But it wasn’t easier. I’ve been miserable.”
“No.” His hands came up to cup my face and forced me to look up at him when all I wanted to do was hide. “No, starfish. I should have told you about what was going on. I know you would have kept AnnMarie’s secret. But she’s so scared of her ex, and she begged me not to tell anyone, even you. I said I wouldn’t. But it was wrong not to tell you.” He dropped his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry. And I’m sorry I didn’t force the point sooner instead of mooning around and hoping you’d come back.”
“We’re a mess,” I scoffed.
“Yeah…” he sighed. “I think we need to work on it, too. First…we both call off for work today. Second…I take retribution on you.” His smirk told me his dick would be involved. “And third…couple’s counseling. We’ve been together long enough, we probably should have seen someone by now. Maybe, it’ll help us to figure out the things we never thought we’d have to work out.”
“That’s convoluted.”
He didn’t smile. “Agree?”
“On one condition.”
“What’s that? You know I’ll give you anything.”
“I don’t deserve that.” I was so mad at myself. All this time, because we’d both been dumb and stubborn in our own ways.
“Stop. This is on both of us. Now, what’s your condition?”
“Never throw me back.”
“Never. You’remystarfish. You live in my heart and make it beat.”
My head dropped to his chest, feeling his powerful heartbeat beneath my cheek. He was my starfish, too.
“I love you,” I told him. “And I can’t ever tell you how sorry I am.”
“No more sorries.” He swept me up into his arms. “But let’s start on that retribution, huh?”
I didn’t answer, just snuggling into him. He didn’t need more than that. I was all for it, and he knew it. We’d both made mistakes. We’d both make mistakes again—hopefully not this bad, though. But I was sure next time, and every other time in the future, we’d remember this and talk. And work it out—even if it was a wild sex marathon that included no words.
“I love you, too,” he said as he placed me on the bed. “For always.”
Epilogue
~ Felix ~
Five Years Later
I carried the last box into the house and looked around at the maze of brown crates.
“Marco!” I yelled.
“Polo!” Breezy called from the vicinity of the kitchen. Following the sound of my wife of four years’ voice, I headed that way.
“Are you sure you want to come back?” I asked, leaning against the door jamb.
“Don’t you think it’s a little late to ask that? We bought a house, you have a job here,Ihave anawesomecurator position in town, and our friends and family would go full on mutiny if we tried to go away again—”
She straightened from putting away some pots and I pulled her into my arms. “I’m so proud of you.”
