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“We know. It’s alright. Come on. Let’s leave the lovebirds alone to have their first fight.” She chuckled. “Even though I kind of want to witness it,” she mumbled as she and Sarah headed toward the dining room.
Rhett
What the fuck?Was she actually upset that one of myemployeesneeded to meet with me? I wasn’t a stupid man. I understood there was history there and a ton of fucked-up drama. But didn’t she trust me? Did she actually think after everything we had shared and everything I’d done that I would want anyone but her?
“I can’t believe you’re pissed at me for talking with an employee about what her shifts will look like when she comes back to work.” My teeth ground together as I worked to shelve my annoyance. “You need to realize she works here, and I will have to deal with her.”
“I—” She looked away, unwilling to meet my intense glare.
Her hesitation made my stomach twist. I wasn’t sure I could do this with her. At least not without saying something I might have regretted. I pushed past her through the doors leading into the dining room.
“Rhett,” Bella called as she followed me through the restaurant toward the doors that led out to the back.
The warm lake air hit my nose as I stepped outside. There were no customers out on the patio. The only sound was a larger boat passing by.
Her tentative hand ran up my back, over my shoulder, and down to my bicep. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Turning, I cupped her face with my hands. “Do you trust me?”
I wanted to look into her eyes when she answered me, but I wasn’t sure I could have handled it if she said no.
“I do. With every fiber of my being.” A single tear slipped down her cheek, and I brushed it away with my thumb. And internally breathed a sigh of relief. “But you need to know I have insecurities. And lately it’s been hard to silence them.” Her gaze lowered toward the ground.
“Bella, look at me.” I tilted her chin up until her gaze met mine, and all the air left my lungs from the fear I saw there. “What do you mean?” I choked out. Again, I wasn’t sure if I could handle what she was about to say. Was she having doubts about us?
“Everyone keeps saying we’re moving too fast, and then Sarah coming out of your office… after finding out a few weeks ago you guys would hook up in there.” She cringed and took a single step back, causing my hands to drop to my sides.
“Wait, you really think I would do that?”
“Savannah said—”
“Savannah likes to start shit, and you should know that. I promise you, nothing has ever happened in my office with anyone.” My arms settled across my chest. It appalled me that she would even think that.
“She’s still gorgeous. I’ll never look like her.” Her bottom lip wedged between her teeth, and I swallowed the urge to groan.
“Thank fuck for that.” I reached out and grabbed her hands, entwining our fingers. “I don’t want you to look anything like her. Ever. I think you’re gorgeous exactly the way you are.”
“Why’d you date her? We’re obviously nothing alike.”
“Bella, baby, don’t you get it? I needed someone who didn’t remind me of you. I thought of you enough.”
Her eyes widened. “What?” she asked hesitantly.
“I thought if I found someone who didn’t make me think of you, I would stop dreaming of you, wanting you, needing you. But it never worked.”
My hands pulled her closer until our bodies pressed together and my arms wrapped around her. We stood there like that, embracing each other, until Nadia the hostess cleared her throat as she stepped out onto the patio with customers.
“Sorry to interrupt, but the computers are frozen and need rebooting. And Bella, I’m seating your table out here,” Nadia said as we both nodded before she walked the customers to their table.
“I want the job,” Bella blurted before I moved to head back inside. “And we need to order new computers by the beginning of June.”
I froze and stared at her for a long moment. “Are you sure? You don’t have to rush—”
“It’s not rushing. It’s knowing what I want and embracing it. Just like with us. Now, is the job mine or not?” she asked as she placed her hands on her hips.
“Of course it’s yours. Always has been.” I winked at her and chuckled when she rolled her eyes.
“Good. Hattie and I will narrow down the choices of POS systems, then you can make the final decision. Sound good?”
