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He looked nervous—I’d give him that. “I deserved all that and more. But you need to know how sorry I am. I’m sorry for that night. I’ve thought about nothing else since it happened. How I should have kissed you in front of everyone. How I shouldn’t have let you go. How I should have throttled Don’s throat for the vile things he said to you.”
I held up my hand. “You know what, Nathan. I should actually be thanking you.”
His brows shot up. “For what?”
“You finally gave me the wake up call I needed to get the hell out of that company and move on with my life.” I smiled bitterly. “It’s funny, I thought your support would be what helped me, but it turned out it was your indifference that gave me the kick in the ass I needed.”
Pain flashed across his face. “I’m nowhere near indifferent.”
“Huh, really?” I pretended to look quizzical. “Could have fooled me.”
He looked panicked now. “You don’t understand how much—"
“Forget it,” I cut him off. “It’s fine. I forgive you, I really do. I understand that work is everything for you. It was my fault for thinking I could fit into your life somehow. But now I want to forget about you and move on.”
I swiftly walked past him and headed to the next table where I began packing the candles into another box. To my dismay, Nathan followed me and stood next to me at the table, gripping the edge of it.
“I can’t forget and move on Charlie. You’ve changed everything for me.”
Biting the inside of my cheek, I looked up to meet his pleading eyes.
“I’m sorry I’m terrible at this—at communicating. But I promise I will work every day to be better, starting right now.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “My work used to be everything to me. It was all I knew how to do. But I’ve realized something these past few weeks. I’ll never find happiness there. I won’t become my father—I refuse. That night, at the party, fighting for my job was a knee jerk reaction. I’ve spent my whole life thinking my entire worth is attached to my achievements. But here I am—alone with no one to share it with, and I feel fucking empty. I’ve always felt empty. Until you.”
I gulped, battling to maintain my resolve that I didn’t need Nathan Shaw in my life.
“After that night, I couldn’t stop replaying your disappointed face in my mind,” he said. “I realized far too late that you’re what matters to me—not some stupid position. When you came into my life, you complicated it in ways I wasn’t used to, but—”
I shook my head to shake myself from the daze of his words.
“Sorry I complicated your life, Nathan,” I shoved past him. Tears threatened to break loose as I hurried toward the front door.
“Damnit, Charlie, will you let me finish?” He raced next to me and fell into pace beside me. “You complicated it, but you also made my life worth living for the first time.”
“Just let me go,” I said, quickening my pace.
“I can’t let you go because I’m in love with you,” he called from behind me.
His words caused me to freeze in my tracks.
He’s in love with me? Could this be real?
Nathan took my moment of hesitation as an opportunity to step in front of me, forcing me to meet his eyes again.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
The corner of his lip tugged up. He reached out to brush my hair behind my ear, his hand hesitating, as if worried I’d recoil at his touch.
“I’m sure,” he said. “My whole life I’ve thought connections were pointless. I didn’t need anyone. But then I met you.”
A few tears escaped and flowed down my cheeks, but Nathan swiped them away with his thumb.
“You challenge me. You’re brilliant. You actually took the time to get to know me, despite how cold and unwelcoming I might come across.”
“You aren’t cold,” I whispered.
He smiled. “I know I don’t deserve for you to give me the time of day after what I did, but please let me spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Why didn’t you come to me earlier?”
