“Oh, Mom!” I sob as I run into her arms like a little child. “I had no idea.”
“I didn’t want to tell you, because I knew it would make you feel bad. I didn’t want you to think that I got hurt because of you. I protected you, my darling. And it is the thing I am most proud of in my life.” She cups my face in her hands. “Aside from you, of course. Watching you being so brave all these years has given me the strength that I didn't know I have. You’re kind and strong and everything I have hoped you would grow up to be. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, Mom.”
“Now,” she says as she pulls me off my knees, “You can move to New York, or Timbuktu, or wherever. And don’t you worry about me.”
“But what about… him?” The demon who haunted my childhood and put my mother in a wheelchair.
Her blue eyes are icy, and her spine is as straight as an arrow. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m not afraid of the bastard. Not anymore.”
Chapter 12
Fletcher
Reluctantly, I finish the last stroke of white paint on the garage door. It feels symbolic, almost, since the garage door is what brought us together. It feels almost like fate. At the time, I had no idea how much this beautiful, fiery stranger would mean to me. Now that I’ve completed my task, we can embark on the next phase of our lives. I can’t wait.
I snap shut the extra buckets of paint and take a step back to examine my handiwork. Not bad. The house looks almost like it did when my father was alive. Nothing spectacular, but it feels like home. I have replaced a few shingles on the roof, cleared the yard, and propped up a new picket fence. Except now all the work isn’t to distract me or to get the house ready for a sale, I’m planning to keep the house. I was serious when I said that Amelia’s mom should live here when we’re away in New York. I want to make sure she’s taken care of so that Amelia won’t be worried about anything when she is with me.
But I have to stop before my imagination runs away with me. I’ve been doing that a lot lately. She hasn’t agreed to anything yet, but she has stopped resisting the idea of coming with me to New York. For now, I’ll be shuttling between the two coasts for a while until she figures out the best situation for her and her mom. My current plan only adds stress to my already packed CEO schedule, and Valentina is furious with me because she thinks I need to focus on my company. But I know this is the right decision for me.
I have given too many nights and weekends to this company. I have spent too many hours making myself and those around me miserable to squeeze out one more dollar for the investors. I have become cold and rigid over the years. I have forgotten what it is like to just sit around and laugh and do nothing. To simply be in the moment with the person next to me. To just be me again.
I have the perfect exit opportunity lined up. We have a well-respected Japanese investor with deep pockets lined up to give us the funding we need to take our project to completion. He has invested in my company before, so it is basically a sure bet. All I need to do is to head back to New York and sign the papers. Valentina’s investments are safe and I will remain a rich man.
I’m still trying to figure out what my next steps are. The Japanese investor would probably prefer to have me stay on as CEO, but I am ready to do something different with my life. I also don’t want to be tied down to my job anymore so that I can spend more time with my girl. We’ve been spending every second of the past few days together, since I’ll be heading out-of-town tomorrow. I’ll only be gone for a week, but even the thought of that is unbearable. We’re like two lovesick teenagers at the end of a summer romance.
Even now, the house feels empty without her. She went home to grab some of her things, and I hope to talk things through with her mom and finally make a decision about us. She’s only been gone a few hours, but it feels like ages for me. I miss her already.
The sound of her soft voice. The warmth in her eyes as she smiles. The way a room will smell vaguely of her, even hours after she leaves. Lilac and honey. I want to hold her in my arms and inhale every inch of her.
I’ve always been an early riser. Being the CEO of multiple successful companies means that there is never enough time in the day. I have always been on the go because there is always an endless to-do list. Yet I find myself staying in bed, lingering next to her, even hours after I’ve woken up. Just so that I can watch her sleep and feel the warmth of her body against mine. I can stay like that, next to her for hours.
Now I fritter away time by daydreaming about our future life together. Endless
