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“Three minutes,” I mutter, wondering if this is a waste of my goddamn time.
“I’m sorry,” is the first thing she says while looking at me. “I know what I did was wrong and that’s exactly why I stopped doing it. The only thing I ever told Heath about the ranch was the fire at the barn, which wasn’t really confidential since it was on the news — I’m assuming that’s how he determined sending me after you was a good idea.”
Well, at least Nathan was right about one thing. “Okay?”
“I, uh, I figured out who it was that gave him the information I wouldn’t,” she says softly, almost a whisper, but I still manage to hear her clearly.
“What do you mean?”
She sighs. “I ran after you that night, wanted to explain everything, but you were long gone and Heath was waiting for me out in the lobby. He told me that he had someone on the inside, spying on you guys and me as well because he thought it was weird that I didn’t have any new information for him.”
“Someone else was giving him information?”
“Y-yes, do you want me to tell you who it was?”
As much as I’d hate to find out someone I trusted went behind my back, it’s something I need to know, so I nod in response. She walks closer to me, a small stack of images clutched in her hand, and holds them out. “I’d rather show you the proof, so just look at these. They’re images of someone from your ranch meeting with Heath in odd places around the city, places that most people wouldn’t go.”
My eyes widen at the person sitting with Heath, the guy who ruined everything for me, and I snap my gaze up to Sydney. “These images aren’t altered?”
She shakes her head while bringing her phone out, tapping incessantly on the screen before putting it away, then my phone pings from my pocket. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to bring myself to block her number even if she called five hundred times in one day trying to get ahold of me.
I glance at the message she sent me, which contains the email thread between her and a PI, and find the file with the images I’m holding in my hand. Out of all the people to have betrayed me, I never thought it would be him — he’s worked for me and my family for years. I shove the image of Hector sitting with Heath back into my pocket and go back to the problem at hand.
“Okay, now what?”
She sighs. “Again, I don’t know, Brent.”
“Alright, well, I’m tired and this conversation is past the five-minute mark.” Just as my hand reaches the handle of the door, she mutters something under her breath that makes me stop and spin around to face her. “What did you say?”
“I love you, okay?” she says, waving her hands over the outfit she’s wearing that makes me want to fall to my knees at her feet. “I drove three hours, went through two hours of Justine talking incessantly about what to do and not to do when I see you, and I even got my damn nails done!”
Her hand comes into view, but with the streetlight barely glowing I can’t see a damn thing about them, although I’m not sure she actually cares if I can see them or not. I don’t say anything as she paces in front of me, her new nails going right in her mouth to chew on them, and I smirk at her nervousness.
“I quit my job, you know? The very same night you walked away from me. I didn’t even do it in person, I sent an email like a goddamn dick and told him I was done. An email, Brent! I’m so fucking in love with you that I didn’t even quit my job right, the only job that I ever really had long enough to put on my resume. You make me lose control of myself, that’s how much of a hold you have over me.”
She scoffs. “Do you remember when you snuck up on me in the gala and got angry with me?”
I nod, not trusting myself to speak at the moment.
“I was one thin line away from reaching my arms over the table and strangling everyone who was sitting with us, simply because of the way they were looking at you. That’s not me, Brent, I don’t stick up for anyone but myself anymore, but that’s not the case when it comes to you because I’m head over heels in love with you.”
“Stop talking,” I mutter, but it’s no use because she keeps going.
“And the most insane part? I moved to be closer to you and Nathan. Without even knowing that I’d have your forgiveness, I drove three hours away from the city I’ve lived in all my life, and changed my entire life. Because I love you. I love the way you worry entirely too much over your son and how stubborn you are, even though it can be annoying as well. I love the way you can simply touch me and everything inside me calms.”
I’m already standing right in front of her when she finally manages to take a deep breath and growl when she opens her mouth, then slam my lips to hers in a passionate kiss. When I pull away I let out a soft chuckle. “Sydney, for the life of me, stop talking.”
Even in the darkness, I can see her cheeks flush and I run my finger over them gently. She sighs. “Sorry, got carried away there.”
“I love you, too, Sydney, even if I tried my hardest not to these last few months. Seeing you again only brought everything I pushed away right back to the surface. There’s no escaping you, not even if I try.”
She pushes up onto her tiptoes, her lips pressing softly against mine, and I hum in approval against them. The door for the truck opens and closes, then footsteps sound beside us. “Yeah, as much as I loved that speech, I’m starving over here. Think the winner could get something to eat?”
Sydney chuckles as she pulls away, then stands straighter in front of me. “I’ll leave you two to celebrate.”
She tries to walk away, but I grab hold of her hand and stop her. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Uh, letting you go eat?”
