She shrugged, not appearing to be as affected by my sordid past. “Well, it’s all over now, and like they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty. Had you known ahead of time that all you had to do was sort through emotions that had been locked away for years—and that it would be a rather fast process—you might not have pushed me away that day. And had I known that you weren’t steadfast in your claim to end things for good if your past came to light, then I might’ve stayed and waited it out. But we can’t go back in time, and thankfully, it seems as though everything has worked out for both of us. So I guess right now, all we have to figure out is where to go from here.”
Her response proved once more what a truly remarkable woman she was.
I remained resolute in my decision to leave the outcome completely up to her, but that didn’t mean that I wouldn’t make my own wants and wishes very clear. Now, I just had to make sure I didn’t mess this up.
“Yellow hearts danced in my eyes the first time I met you, which was a little odd to me, because technically, I thought we had already met. Once I learned the truth, it made sense that I was filled with dozens upon dozens of yellow hearts—because I had a crush on you from the very first moment I saw you.”
Her brows arched as she stared at me in awe, reminding me of those collectible figurines of children with big eyes. It warmed my heart, though it increased the pressure that I had put on myself to get this right.
“The first time we kissed—well, the first time we kissed after I learned that you weren’t an adulterer—I was surrounded by orange hearts. And that night in your sister’s living room when you asked for a hot chocolate with rum, the heart that beat in my chest turned purple.”
Her bottom lip trembled with emotion, and all I wanted to do was kiss her.
But I had to get through this first.
“The first night you stayed at my house, when you came out of the bathroom in one of my old shirts and then fell asleep in my arms, I knew, without a doubt, that I more than liked you, but my past had messed me up too badly to move beyond that. After my last relationship fell apart, I’d convinced myself that I was incapable of loving someone. I had deep-seated trust issues that prevented me from letting anyone get too close, and honestly, I thought that was something I would always have to deal with. I didn’t see the light at the end of that tunnel. Until you.”
I had to take a deep breath before I lost my composure.
“Because of you, I was able to deal with those issues, and for the first time in my life, I’m ready to give something my all. In fact, I want to put a hundred and ten percent of myself into a relationship with you…if that’s what you want.” I held my breath and waited for her response, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, I realized that I had forgotten one important piece. “What I’m trying to say is…I red heart you, Tasha.”
A tear slipped down her cheek before getting lost in the smile that curled her lips. “Really? You’re sure about this? You love me?”
“Without a doubt. I knew the hearts in my eyes were red as soon as I discovered that you were gone. The thought of you not being there crushed my soul; the distance between us wrapped around my neck and choked me. I know it’s real because I’ve never felt that way about anyone.”
Her smile grew impossibly wider just before she whispered, “I love you, too.”
Never had a kiss felt more right, more powerful, more…everything than when my lips met hers after weeks of suffering without them. I didn’t care what the future looked like as long as I had her next to me.
Epilogue
Tasha
It was the big reveal for the arcade hall at the youth center. Dave and I had been busting our butts for the last ten months to get it done, and now it was time to celebrate. Unfortunately, rather than do so in a small setting, Adam insisted on making it a big deal.
“You should be really proud of yourself.” Jacoby came up behind me and kissed me on my cheek. Not only had he been a constant part of my support system ever since showing up on my front doorstep, but he’d also become such a major part of my entire life since then.
I smiled and returned the sentiment. “Well, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”
A few days after our heart-to-heart, Jacoby had gone back to his sister’s and packed up his things—Sir Terry included. My apartment was small and barely held the three of us, but we didn’t have to deal with it for long, because a few months ago, we all moved into a bigger place. Still together, but somewhere with more room for personal space.
With the time I’d spent getting the arcade hall up and going, I hadn’t been able to get a job, but that was okay. Jacoby had managed to get a job with the landscaping company he used to work for when he lived with his ex, which was less than an hour away. That had helped us tremendously. I still had the diamond that Adam had given me as payment for my time spent portraying Tiff—which I’d discovered had a price tag upward of a cool mill. So at least I knew I’d be able to repay him
