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“Apparently, I need to say it again because you haven’t told me you forgive me. You haven’t told me you still love me the way I love you.”
“You still love me?” she asks.
“I never stopped,” I assure her. “I might have a lot of learning to do when it comes to falling in love, but I know it can’t be turned on and off like a switch.”
“No, it doesn’t turn off.”
That’s a damn good sign, so I go for exactly what I want. “Please say you’ve forgiven me and we can start over. Please say you still love me.”
Stevie steps into me. While clutching her journal to her chest with one hand, she wraps the other around my waist. “I love you. And I forgive you.”
My knees almost buckle I’m so weak with relief, but I lock my arms around her.
“But I don’t want to start over,” she says. I jerk back, frowning. She grins. “I want to pick up where we left off.”
“Jesus fuck, Stevie… don’t scare me like that.” I let out a nervous laugh, then take her face in my hands. My mouth descends onto hers, and I can taste within the kiss that everything has been set right between us. I press my forehead to hers. “I swear to God… I’ll never not fight for us again. I’ll never fail you.”
“I believe you.”
“But in the future, if you get into a jam, I need you to come to me for help. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
We stay like that for a while, holding on to each other, and I have never felt such completeness in my life.
The bar door opens, a burst of music indicating someone plugged the jukebox back in. “Everything good out here?”
It’s John, but neither of us moves.
“Yeah, Peas… all good,” Stevie says and then twists her head to look at her dad. “Actually, we’re still working out some stuff. It would be good if we could go somewhere to talk.”
John’s eyebrow arches skeptically. “Want me to watch the bar?”
“Yes, please and thank you,” she says quickly, grabbing my hand. I don’t even look at John as I don’t want to see his expression when it’s obvious his daughter wants intimate time with me.
I lead Stevie down the sidewalk. She twists her neck and calls out to her dad, “I love you.”
“Love you too,” he grumbles.
“We don’t have other stuff to talk about, do we?” I ask as we hurry down the block. “We’re going to have makeup sex, right?”
“Right,” she says emphatically. “Although we can talk after. Throw some I love you’s around, let out a little more self-loathing on both our parts. It will be fun.”
I burst out laughing and stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Pulling her in for a kiss, just before our mouths meet, I say, “God, I love you.”
CHAPTER 28
Stevie
Tugging at the bottom of my dress, I look around the bar. It’s a mash-up of people in varying styles—my regular biker clientele, complete in jeans and leathers, the genuine Titans fans decked out in the team colors of purple and silver, and then you have us… the Titans family.
It’s not the entire team, but enough are here to outnumber my usual patrons. Many of the other players had long-set plans for New Year’s since it’s a full night and next day off for the team.
But enough of them came to make me marvel at just how fast I’ve gained an extended family.
I pull at my dress again as it feels too short. Harlow insisted I wear it, an outfit a bit too snug and sparkly for my taste, but admittedly, when Hendrix saw it, his tongue about fell out of his head. The stiletto heels might have contributed.
However, Hendrix being Hendrix set me straight. He pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear, “You are so hot tonight, I’m not sure how I’m going to keep my hands off you. But truth be told, you’re just as hot in jeans and a T-shirt.”
One more moment when I fell deeper in love with him.
“Stop fidgeting with your dress,” Harlow says, nudging me with her elbow.
“It’s too short,” I complain. “Everyone’s looking.”
“It’s not too short, but the more you tug on it, the more people will look. So stop it.”
“Fine,” I grumble, and instead, I nervously twist the diamond studs in my ears.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asks, turning my way. She’s drinking a bottle of water and looks sexy as hell in her own snug little dress of deep green.
“It’s just… yesterday I was enemy number one, and today the whole team is here in my bar to celebrate New Year’s.”
Harlow shakes her head. “No, you weren’t enemy number one yesterday. You were enemy number one five days ago, but the team learned the real story three days ago, so you’ve been solidly back on firm ground with everyone since then.”
