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Both mother and daughter were crying now, soundless tears tracking down their faces. The hollowness inside of Hope filled with a long overdue sense of gratitude.
Audrey breathed a sigh of relief. “Just when I’d lost all hope, I found it again—in you. My Hope.”
Hope let out a choked sob and threw herself into her mother’s arms. The only mother she’d ever known. The only mother who mattered, now and forever.
As she released the decade’s worth of tears inside her, Audrey ran soothing hands up and down her back.
“Families don’t always come together in the exact way we imagine,” Audrey whispered into Hope’s hair. “But when they do, we should hold on to them with everything we have.” Audrey’s hold on her tightened. “We should fight for them always, because family is the most precious gift we are given.” Audrey released her and brushed away the last of Hope’s tears. “I’m sorry I let you down, darling. But please don’t let my mistakes ruin your chance at happiness. You were never meant to be alone. Not on this hospital’s steps or in Portland or where you go next.”
She stared at Audrey, confused. It was like her mother could see into her mind, could read what had all happened in the last few days—months. Then Audrey leaned in to give her one last hard and fierce hug, before turning Hope to face the pavilion doors.
The sight in front of her made her gasp and stagger back in shock. Gabe stood there, which was one thing to wrap her head around, but he was also decked out in a formal black suit, looking so handsome she almost couldn’t believe he was real. The man cleaned up nicely.
“A family is precious, darling,” her mother whispered into her ear. “No matter how it comes to you. Don’t ever let go.”
Then, with a regal nod in Gabe’s direction, Audrey slipped back into the pavilion, leaving her alone with this man who had both ruined her and blessed her in ways that were beyond her wildest imaginings.
He approached her slowly, his eyes dark and unsure, yet in their green depths she saw relief. A relief that echoed in her own heart. She’d missed him. It had been less than a day, but her heart ached for him and seeing him here, even with all the uncertainty, relieved the ache.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, appalled at the wobbly sound of her voice.
“I wanted to see you. Needed to.” He halted in front of her, so close that she had to tip her head to look up at him. “I shouldn’t have left you last night, Hope. I screwed up, and if I could do it all again, I would’ve never left that office. Never left you.” He lifted a hand and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
The touch was so familiar it made her heart ache.
“Then why did you?” She wanted to know. Wanted to hear why hehadwalked out of her life so easily. Her anger bubbled dangerously just under her hurt.
“Everything that happened last night—” He broke off, his voice rough. “Seeing you threatened like that—by some asshole who’d clearly threatened you before.” A muscle clenched in his jaw. “Then what you said after, about the cheating. It didn’t make sense, but at the same time, it triggered all kinds of shit inside me. All kinds of fear. It brought back memories, and all the reasons why I promised myself I’d never trust anyone again, because in the end you were keeping things from me. Getting out of there felt like the only way I could protect myself from totally losing it. Turns out that was my biggest mistake.”
As far as heartfelt monologues went, that one made it pretty impossible to stay mad at him. After all he’d been through, she couldn’t blame him for reacting as he had. She’d had the opportunity to tell him the truth, and she’d delayed until it was too late.Because the truth wasn’t an option, she reminded herself.
“I went to your apartment this morning, but you were gone. Ivy told me you’d gone home.” He paused, his eyes poignant. “Ivy told me everything.”
The air in her lungs evaporated. What did that mean? There was no way Ivy had told himeverything.
He must have read the apprehension in her eyes because he nodded, his expression grim. “She told me what happened that night at the frat party. What happened to her. What happened toyou. What you did to save her.” He leaned closer to her, smelling like he always did—like spice and cedar, all male.
She inhaled him like she would a breath of fresh air, deeply and greedily. She wanted to close the distance between them as well, but she needed to clarify something first.
“Ivy couldn’t have told you. She’s never—”
Gabe’s eyes darkened murderously, and in that moment, she knew it was true. Ivy had told him.
“I understand why you kept her secret, I can even understand why she decided to make it one, even if I don’t necessarily agree with it because it means those fuckers got away with what they did. But I understand it’s her choice.” His eyes softened marginally. “What I don’t understand is why you’d lie about the cheating. Why would you go along with what Adam said about you?”
So Ivy hadn’t told him everything then. She whirled away on a sigh, moving closer to the balcony’s railing where the city beyond glistened brightly against the backdrop of the ocean.
“Well, I couldn’t tell you about Ivy. Not without her consent. And it wasn’t a total lie,” she admitted, turning back to him, wanting nothing but the truth between them now. “But I need you to know I never cheated. I would never do that.”
He nodded. “No more omissions, Hope. Tell me what happened.”
Hope sighed again. “Toward the end of the first term in our last year, after the rape, Adam and Ethan got caught cheating. I guess all their partying had finally caught up with their GPAs, and it was either cheat or fail. They were cocky as hell, so they never thought they’d get caught. When they did, they accused me of helping them cheat, telling the administration that I supplied them with test answers and copies of the exams. They figured if I took the brunt of the blame, the department would be more lenient on them.” The memories of that horrible time filtered into her mind. It had been so long since she’d let herself think about it.
“At first, I told them to go to hell. I worked my ass off to get to where I was, and there was no way I was going to let them get away with it. But my words held no weight. They knew they’d just gotten away with rape since Ivy hadn’t reported it and that I’d never betray her. They were cocky fucks who thought they could get away with anything. Whodidget away with anything. So I had absolutely no leverage against them. Then they threatened to spread rumors about how easy Ivy was. Threatened to tell more of their friends that she’d give them what they wanted. That she liked it rough.” Her voice grew thick as the memories assailed her. “They said such horrible things. And they were so arrogant and conceited I was sure they’d follow through.”
With a growl, Gabe dragged her to him, and she went willingly, taking his warmth and his strength to help her get through the rest. “So, they blamed me for supplying them with material to cheat. I was so flabbergasted that it was even happening, I couldn’t figure out a way to defend myself or clear my name. Without telling me, Ivy got a hold of my brother, and the next thing I knew, Joel was on campus armed with lawyers and the Morgan bankroll. Within hours, he’d cleared my name.” She’d never forget how her brother had dropped everything to come and help her. “He didn’t stop until Adam and Ethan were expelled, and it was vindicating, that small victory, after everything they’d done.” She released a sad sigh as she walked through the memory, step by step, for the first time in a long time. “I thought it was over and I was told I could resume my studies, but that was naive. My reputation was ruined. And even though they were gone, those guys still had friends. Friends who believed I was guilty and proceeded to make my life a living hell on campus.” The cruel names she’d been called and not-so-hushed gossip that followed her everywhere, the constant cloud of Ivy’s grief and guilt, the weight of her brother’s protectiveness thereafter, all flooded back at once. “In the end, I couldn’t take it, so I came back home to finish my degree at a local college.”
“Ah, Hope, I’m so sorry you had to go through that on top of everything else.” He kissed her forehead as he wrapped his big arms around her. “You’re so fucking brave. So loyal. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you then, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you last night.”
