“Here you go.” Ty walked over and handed me my tea and grilled cheese, then went back to the kitchen to retrieve his and plopped down next to me, blowing on his own cup. “So, you’re here.”
“I am.” I blew on my tea too, looking up at him over the cup.
“I’m so fucking nervous.” His cheeks reddened adorably.
“Me too.” I blew out a breath that I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
“Should we talk?” he asked.
“I guess we should.”
“Eat first?” He motioned to the sandwich.
“Yum.” I took the plate and nibbled at the sandwich, licking the dripping cheese from my lips.
Ty stared at my tongue flicking against my lips, his mouth curved into a grin and then expanded into a bigger smile. I couldn’t help but let out a burst of anxious laughter. He let out a guffaw, and we just laughed for a few minutes, which broke the tension completely.
When our chuckling subsided, Ty’s expression changed, like he was hungry for something more than a sandwich. I swallowed and licked my lips again; his eyes followed my tongue, almost enraptured. The sexual tension was crackling between us and I put down the sandwich on the coffee table.
Ty set his empty plate down and sank back into the cushions. His arm skimmed the top of the couch. Resting his head on one hand, he reached over to trace my lips with his finger then caressed my cheek with his whole palm.
“You’re still the sweetest and most beautiful woman in the world, Zoey. I’m not proud of how I behaved over the years, I haven’t been a good man. An honorable man. I’m not sure what to say to you, other than you were right to leave me back then,” Ty said solemnly. “I would’ve been such a disappointment.”
“Oh, Ty, that’s not true. You made it against all of the odds. But, as I’ve said before, how I handled things will always be the biggest regret of my life.” I looked down at the cushion, unable to look him in the eye. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Zoey.” Ty had other ideas and tipped his finger under my chin to make me look at him.
“Don’t you think we could have made it?” I asked the question I’d asked myself every day for eight years.
“I try not to think about it, because as my therapist told me—there’s no point in wasting energy on something that you can’t change.” Ty held my gaze.
“You’re in therapy?”
“On and off for a few years. The guys and Carter encouraged me to go. I think it helped me deal with, well, what happened with us. But, also my upbringing. My mom. The abuse.” Ty scooted in closer to me and I leaned against him, reminding me of the days we’d cuddle and talk for hours.
“So much lost time, it’s so stupid.” I couldn’t help it when a tear escaped.
“Ahhhh, babe, no tears, this is a happy night. Should we maybe fill in some of the gaps?” Ty wiped my cheek.
“Not much on my side, I studied hard and now I’m working hard.” I shrugged, it was the simple, boring truth.
“I know that, but did you have someone?” Ty questioned, but really stated. Like he knew. “I mean, it’s none of my business.”
“Do you want it to be your business, Ty?” I traced a line on his shoulder, feeling comfort and safety in his embrace.
“I’d like to know you were okay.”
“I’ve dated, but not much. I’ve been so heads-down with school and work, there hasn’t been much time to really think about it. There was someone I was seeing in law school, but it wasn’t ever a long-term thing. In fact, he’s married and living in New York. I never told him—or really anyone—that we were ever a couple.”
“Why?” Ty seemed genuinely curious.
“Umm. Well, the world was trying to figure out who I was, and I didn’t want to really be identified as the girl who inspired that album. I appreciated that you guys never outed me when you could have been very vindictive.”
“No, why was there no one else?”
I gave him a pointed look and looked away. There was no way to answer because for me there would never be anyone else but Ty. I continued to trace my finger on his shoulder while staring at the hole in the knee of his jeans. We sat quietly for a while.
Ty’s deep, melodic voice broke the silence. “I’m sometimes a little regretful that I put it all out there. I was hoping you’d hear it and maybe call me and yell at me, or just, I don’t know.”
“It seemed to me that you had plenty of women to cheer you up.” I closed my eyes, so I didn’t have to see his reaction, but I had to let him know that I knew about all the others.
Ty stroked my hair. “I tried to forget you. I couldn’t.”
“You didn’t take it off.” I rubbed my thumb under the bracelet, feeling the worn grooves of our initials.
“I told you I never would.” Ty’s fingers moved with mine and then he touched the butterfly resting against my collarbone. “You didn’t either.”
I buried my head in his shoulder, overwhelmed. When I regained a bit of courage, I looked into the deep-blue pools of his eyes.
“How can I ever compete, Ty? You can have any woman in the world, you’re famous and so fucking gorgeous. I can barely remember to pluck my eyebrows!”
“I’m the same guy, Z. A lot of people think they know me, but I’m still the same socially awkward guy that thinks you’re the most beautiful woman in the world.” Ty kissed the side of my head. “And I love your eyebrows.”
“What is it like going out with models and actresses?”
“Terrible. Most are literally the worst.” Ty laughed.
“It was hard to see all of
