“I thought I had to be that way after the accident with India so many years ago. I felt so bad about what happened to her that I didn’t believe I deserved to be happy or in love again. I messed up back then, and I messed up again today. But I want to do better, I want to be better.” He kissed her fingers before looking up to her again. “I’m better when I’m with you.”
How could he be breaking her heart and filling it at the same time? She ached for the pain he’d carried all these years. It was foolish of him to think he had to be punished for an accident that wasn’t his fault. Just as it was foolish of her to hold what had happened with her and Gordon so close that it spilled over into everything she did. Once again, the fact that they seemed to be a perfect match was not lost on her.
She tried to lift her free hand up to his face, but the effort was painful, and she winced. He immediately leaned over so he was closer, and her palm finally met his cheek for a slow stroke. “We’re quite a pair, you and I. Walking around here acting like martyrs, holding our feelings back because of some nonsense in our past.” She shook her head. “Last night, when you left, I thought back to when I found out Gordon was cheating on me. And then after I saw that video I remembered when the owner of the team Gordon had played on held a press conference to announce that Gordon was being released from the team after sleeping with the coach’s wife.” She took in a shaky breath, forcing herself not to cry over events that didn’t deserve any more of her tears. “I felt like it was happening all over again, but this time the pain was surreal.”
“Des—” She shook her head to stop him from speaking.
“No. I know that this is different. You’re not Gordon, and I’m sorry for comparing what we have to what I had with him.”
“I would never intentionally hurt you. Not ever,” he insisted.
“I know.”
Revisiting her life with Gordon was tough, but it was also cathartic, because in that moment she looked into Maurice’s eyes, she knew deep down in her soul that he’d stand by his word.
“I would never treat you badly. Next to Major, you’ve been my best friend these past five years.” He was shaking his head now. “I didn’t realize that until now.”
“Well, you may rethink that when you find out I was responsible for that video going viral.” She figured he had to know about it by now. He was in charge of PR at the company, so someone would’ve reached out to him once they saw it.
“What are you talking about? When did you see the video?” He looked as perplexed as she’d felt when Kelli had walked into her office. But after telling him about that entire exchange, his look of confusion shifted to pure rage.
“Dammit!” He released her hand and stepped away from the bed, turned his back on her and then ran his hands over his face. “That’s where I knew that guy’s name from. When Chaz first said it, I didn’t make the connection.”
“The connection to what?” Despite the pain meds her head was still pounding as she tried to process everything.
He turned back to face her and shrugged. “It seems that Dear Lover was responsible for bringing us together and was almost responsible for tearing us apart. Travis Milhouse was the one who sent me the blackmail messages I started getting that Sunday while we were still at the resort. He and Kelli must’ve concocted the plan once they figured out who we were. And if I wasn’t the consummate playboy, they wouldn’t have had the opening.”
“Oh no, you’re not about to accept the blame for that, too. I knew Kelli was a little off when I met her.”
“Nah, I’m not taking the blame for anybody but myself at this point. I just can’t believe we had to go through all of this...just to realize our friendship was meant to be more.”
“Is it more for you, Maurice?” It was a brave question, one she’d been struggling with asking him all day long.
When he walked over to the bed again, this time brushing his knuckles over her cheek and bending down to drop the softest kiss on her forehead, her skin rippled once again with warmth. It traveled throughout her body now, comforting and calming.
“Yeah, it’s definitely more now.”
EPILOGUE
Three Months Later
MAURICE HELD HIS cards tight, watching as Major decided what he was going to do. Chaz and RJ had already folded, leaving their money to add to the hefty pot up for grabs. Desta was sitting prettily with her cards facedown on the table. She’d already added her bet to the pot.
He watched her while he waited, recalling all they’d been through in the past several months. After she’d left the hospital, they’d both given statements to the police about meeting Kelli and Travis at the ski resort. With their lawyer beside them, they hadn’t needed to go into too much detail about why they’d been there in the first place. Arrests had occurred about a week later, and Maurice had done a press conference explaining the falsehood to the media.
Desta, along with the legal department and a talent agent they’d hired, had negotiated a lucrative reality-television special deal for Riley and Chaz. The new development kept her busy for the bulk of her days, but the nights were reserved for him. Just after they returned from spending Christmas with her family in Chicago, they’d decided that her place was just too small for both of them. He’d wanted her to move into his place, but she’d insisted on them searching for a place where both their names could be on the lease. He respected her need to maintain her independence
