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Jack's smile faltered slightly, and he looked down at his feet. I could see the pain and regret in his eyes, and my heart broke for him.
"I love you, Maya. I always will."
I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I looked into Jack's eyes, seeing the sincerity and love in his gaze. I knew that I still had doubts and fears, but I also knew that I loved Jack more than anything in the world. And I wanted to believe him, to trust that he meant what he said.
"I love you too, Jack," I said, taking his hand in mine. "I think we have a lot of work rebuilding ahead of us, but be patient with me and I know we’ll get there.”
Jack nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'll be patient, and I'll work with you. Please do the same for me. We’ll get there together."
As we sat together on the couch, holding hands and watching the news, for the first time in a long time, I felt like everything was going to be okay.
Chapter 31
Jack
Ialmostcouldn'tbelieveit. Maya loved me. After all we had been through, the hurt we had caused each other, we finally admitted our feelings. It was like a weight had been lifted off my chest.
As Maya and I sat on the couch, our hands intertwined, I couldn't help but feel a wave of happiness wash over me. I looked over at her, taking in her beauty. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light, and her smile was contagious.
"I'm sorry for everything that happened between us, Jack," Maya said, breaking the silence. "I never meant to hurt you."
I squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry too, Maya. It’s all in the past now, though. You’re stuck with me."
We sat in silence for a few moments, basking in the relief of finally admitting our love for each other. It was a feeling I never wanted to end.
Maya stood up, pulling me with her.
“This was a big day, Jack. Eli is with my parents tonight and so we should go out and celebrate.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
"But," she continued, "I want to make sure TRA makes good on their promise." She pulled out her phone to look up the TRA website. We stood shoulder to shoulder to take a look. There it was: "MonTech Cleared of All Wrongdoing", detailing how TRA apologized for compromised reporting practices. A second article, "TRA Apologizes to MonTech CEO, Jack Monroe."
With tears in her eyes, she exclaimed, "Well, there it is… all wrapped up in a nice bow."
While Maya went to get dressed, we put the 6pm news on and enjoyed listening to the segment repeating the same apologies to MonTech. In the meantime, I made a few phone calls and planned a perfect night.
I picked a restaurant that was owned by a friend of mine, so it wasn't an issue getting him to arrange the things I wanted.
There was only one catch; I asked Maya to wear jeans, and I did too.
As I helped her put on her coat, I couldn't help but feel nervous. My pocket felt heavier than it was supposed to, but I said nothing and led her to the car.
After a short, silent drive, we were there, and when Maya's eyes widened at the name, I knew I did well.
"Yoon's Place," she whispered. I laughed when she started to panic about what we were wearing, and I told her not to worry.
"I needed you in jeans so I could keep staring at your ass," I said, and she swatted my arm.
As we walked into the restaurant, I couldn't help but notice the stares we were getting. Maya looked stunning, as always, but we were both dressed casually, a contrast to the other diners, who were all dressed up in suits and dresses. But it didn't matter. Maya was here with me, and that was all I cared about.
The restaurant was beautiful, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and a grand piano in the corner. We were shown to our table, which was right in the middle of the restaurant. As we sat down, I could feel my heart racing. This was an important night for me. I didn't want to mess it up.
The waiter came over and handed us the menu, but I didn't need to look at it. I had already ordered Maya's favorite dish, and I knew she would love it. As we waited for our food, we talked about taking Eli out to celebrate the next day, and how I was going to handle John Summer and everything he had done.
Maya wanted me to expose him in the media, but I wanted to let sleeping dogs lie. There was no need, especially seeing as the company's stock price was going higher and higher, already doubled in just a few hours. Even though it had a ways to go, it was a great start and showed the confidence that the market had in our company and even, if I could be so bold to extrapolate, in me.
When our food arrived, Maya's eyes lit up. "How did you know this was my favorite?" she asked, taking a bite of the pasta.
