Silence hung between them for a moment.
“Layla, I feel the same way about you. I can’t wash away all the hurt from the past, everything that happened and my role in it, but I can make you new promises for the future if you’ll allow me.”
“There’s nothing I want more. But I have to be completely open with you, and I hope you can do the same with me. I don’t want you to be misled and think I’m the exact same person I was in law school. Some of the things you find out about me might disappoint you.”
“Well, I could say the same about me. But here’s the thing: We don’t have to live in the past and rehash everything that happened to us and how we handled it over the years. If there’s something you want to tell me that you think I need to know or that you want me to know, then I’m all ears. But you should understand that there is no judgment as far as I’m concerned, and I know you’ll do the same for me and my past. If you want to just make a fresh start, I’m completely open to that too. The thing that matters most to me is getting to know you again. The woman you are today, sitting here. The woman I fell in love with eight years ago during my first year of law school might have changed, but we can learn and grow together. I’m not crazy, though. I know you can’t just flip a switch and act like all the pain and heartache you experienced because of me went away. Believe it or not, I can be patient, especially when it comes to you. Take all the time you want and need to work through it all. As long as I know that our past is not going to be a deal breaker in the end.”
Her heart pounded. He had no idea how much she still felt for him today. An ever-growing connection by the moment. It seemed even more real than it was years ago, when she thought with her entire mind, heart, and soul that he was the one. “No, Hunter. I will not hold anything over your head. The truth has set me free in this instance. I understand you did what you did out of love for me. You’re right that nothing can change the past heartache and pain, but I’m ready to move on. I’m ready for a new day. I’m ready to embrace the life in front of me right now for as long as God will give it to me, and I really hope that you can be a part of that.”
“That’s about the best news I’ve heard in a long time.” He wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Having you back in my arms is the most amazing feeling in the world.”
She moved back a little and looked right into his blue eyes. “It must’ve been really hard on you too. Of course I never thought of it like that, given what I thought went down, but you basically gave us up for me. And that act of complete self-sacrifice is something I don’t even know how to comprehend. I’m sorry I never thought about how you must’ve handled all of this since you told me the truth. It seems incredibly self-centered of me.”
He shook his head. “There’s no need for you to apologize. I dropped the bomb on you that everything you thought was true wasn’t, so it’s natural that you haven’t processed all the implications of what truly happened. And that’s on top of all the threats to your life.” He took a deep breath. “But you’re right. It broke my heart to do that to you, and it was even worse to see you hurt and then to ultimately be alone. I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t dated anyone since you, but there’s been no one who could even begin to compare to you. You had my heart all those years, Layla, and you still have it completely.”
She inhaled deeply as she took in his words. In her gut, she knew she was looking at the man she could spend the rest of her life with. In that moment together, it was just the two of them, opening up their hearts and revealing their true selves. The man and woman they were today—not ghosts of the past.
She scooted closer to him, and he took her cue. He put his hand gently behind her neck and drew her to him. They locked eyes once more before he kissed her. They had kissed a thousand times before, but this was like their first kiss all over again. The sparks flew between them, the attraction was undeniable, but this was so much deeper than that. This was a kiss that was not only healing old wounds but was also the promise of new beginnings together.
After a few moments, he broke away. As she stared into his eyes again, so many words were exchanged, but not one word was spoken. There was no doubt in her mind that she had never stopped loving Hunter, but today a fresh new love had been born.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
“You did what?” Aiden’s brown eyes widened as he looked at her.
Izzy stood in his living room and thought about her response. “I know hiring a private investigator might seem a bit extreme, but after giving it more thought, I realized I needed help.” She had not consulted Aiden before she made the decision to hire the PI because she
