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This apology is going to be much harder than I thought. What if he never forgives me?
“I can… go if you want. I just wanted to apologize properly…”
Nothing.
Blinking back tears, I turn hesitantly from his door. I’m going to have to try something more extreme. But Efrem doesn’t have a window I can throw rocks at in the middle of the night. And I doubt he would appreciate me approaching him at work if he doesn’t even want to see me now.
I take my time walking back to the elevator, willing him to change his mind and open the door before I leave. But he doesn’t.
Instead, I ride the elevator back down to the first floor, gruffly wiping away my tears. I can’t feel sorry for myself. I need to find a way to fix this. And if Efrem won’t speak to me, then I’ll ask Silvia for help. Because I’m done isolating myself. I need my friends. And she’s always been so good at knowing the right course to take.
The door dings open, and I step forward with fresh determination.
Then stop short with a gasp.
“Dani?”
Efrem stands stunned before me, his chest dangerously close to my face, as I wasn’t looking where I was going.
“Efrem,” I breathe, my heart leaping into my throat.
“What are you… doing here?” he asks, his blue eyes deep wells of confused emotion as he glances around—like he’s making sure he came home to the right place.
And the realization that he wasn’t ignoring me, that I must have been hearing things, strikes me with such force that a sob rips from my chest. The relief is so intense that I can’t stop the tears from coming.
His gorgeous face folds in concern, and his hands reach, palm out, toward me. But he doesn’t touch me, like he’s worried I would reject his embrace. But I’ve never needed something so desperately in my life. Taking a single step to close the distance between us, I fall into his arms, crying openly.
“I’m sorry,” I sob, clinging to him as I revel in the feel of his effortless strength, his enveloping warmth. “I’m so s-sorry. I was w-wrong, and I treated you so t-terribly.” I must sound ridiculous, crying like a child, but I can’t help it. All my carefully planned words come spilling out of me in a nonsensical rush. “I didn’t… I shouldn’t have… I’m—I’m s-s—” Gasping breaths cut me short.
And then his powerful arms enfold me, pulling me firmly against his broad chest. “Shhhh,” he soothes as he guides me back into the elevator. “It’s okay, Dani.”
I faintly notice the door ding closed, the lift rising as it carries us up the floors. His soft, deep voice is a salve on my frayed nerves, and now that he’s holding me close, I find I can finally breathe. Still, I cling to him, burying my face in his chest and inhaling deeply as his wonderfully woodsy, masculine scent makes my pulse pound.
Slowly, I manage to get myself under control and tentatively peer up at Efrem, refusing to step away from him.
“I’m so sorry,” I breathe, willing him to believe me as he strokes my cheeks gently, wiping away my tears.
“You said that already,” he teases softly, a smile curving the corners of his lips.
The elevator doors slide open, and he guides me into the hallway, his arm encircling my waist for support. I glance up at him as he slides his key into the door, and he opens it to reveal the sight of his coat lying on the floor.
Wordlessly, he scoops it up and hooks it on the wall-mounted coat rack, oblivious to the amount of anxiety it gave me. Then he turns to me.
“Would you… like to stay and talk?” he offers.
I nod, shrugging gratefully out of my coat as he takes it from me.
Then he wraps his arm around my shoulders and guides me toward the couch.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I ask as we settle onto the soft cushions, our knees bumping lightly together from our proximity.
“Did you think I wouldn’t be?” His tone is somewhere between amused and sad, his eyes searching my face.
“I told you to drop dead,” I mumble pointedly.
“Yes,” he agrees.
“I’m so, so sorry,” I say again, desperately needing him to tell me he forgives me.
