Page 51 of Believing in You

He lunged forward and wrapped her in his arms. “I do. I know. I messed up. I reacted before thinking, and I’m so sorry for accusing you. Not only was I wrong to do that, but it’s past time I get over this shit.”

Nyla didn’t relax in his arms until he spoke those last words.

“Yes, it is,” she said and leaned her head back to look up at him. “For the record, I haven’t told anyone your story and I never will. It’s your story to tell. The only thing the reporter and I discussed was Moody Days. Maybe since he stayed for the party and heard you playing, he thought you would make for a more interesting story. I don’t know, but you better believe he’s going to hear from me.

“But getting back to you. What you went through was horrible. No one should have to go through something like that, and I know you were humiliated.” She fisted the front of his button-down shirt. “I don’t want to sound insensitive, but we’ve all been humiliated at one time or another. It’s a part of life. We can let it fester inside of us, or we can move past it. This.” She waved her hand at the phone on the desk. “You going off whenever you see something written about you, or hear someone talking about your past, can’t keep happening.”

Harrison nodded and reached for her hand. “I agree. It stops right now, but do you forgive me?”

“Of course I do,” she said and kissed him. “I love you, man.”

“And I love you.” He cupped her face between his hands. “I love you so damn much it scares me sometimes. I also trust you more than I thought I could ever trust another human being. I never want to hurt you or disappoint you. You mean everything to me. I’m so sorry.”

“I know,” she said before kissing him deeply.

They were going to be okay. He was going to make sure of that because he was looking forward to all the wonderful things the future had in store for them.

Epilogue

Harrison stood with Nyla outside of his sister’s apartment building, almost ready to do something he thought he’d never do. See his mother. When Piper called a few days ago, asking if he’d reconsider seeing their mother, Harrison had conceded. Shocking him and her. He’d been thinking about doing it for a while now, and he thought he was ready.

Now he wasn’t so sure.

His sister, the peacemaker, wanted them all to be a family again. Harrison couldn’t promise that, but he really wanted to close this chapter of his life. A chapter riddled with hurt and disappointment.

“You’re not changing your mind, are you?” Nyla asked, her fingers interlocked with his.

She looked sexy in a long, black coat and a short black-and-white checkered dress that stopped just above her knees. She had paired the outfit with a pair of thigh-high boots that had chunky heels and silver chains around the ankles.

Of course, she still wore rings on every finger and silver bangles on her wrists because she said her outfits are incomplete without them. Though she hadn’t totally moved away from her grunge look, she’d been dressing up more. She called her newstyle sophisticated grunge. He honestly didn’t care what she wore, she was still the most beautiful woman to him.

“Have you?” she prompted.

“No, but let’s go in there before I do change my mind.”

A short while later, he knocked on the door.

“It’s going to be okay,” Nyla whispered and gave his hand a slight squeeze.

He was sure he wouldn’t have been able to do this without having her by his side. She often told him that he was her rock, but he felt it was the other way around. The unwavering support she’d been giving him the last couple of months as he got acclimated to his new position at Telecom, had been everything he needed and more.

The apartment door opened suddenly, and Piper ran out and practically knocked Harrison over with her hug. He laughed, marveled at how good it felt to see her. It had been a couple of months since they’d been face-to-face, though they talked often.

His sister had always been a girlie girl, and her appearance reflected that. Her hair hung in loose waves around her shoulder, and her attire consisted of a light-pink blouse paired with off-white pants and pink flats.

“I thought for sure you’d cancel, but I’m so glad you didn’t,” she said and then turned her attention to Nyla. She greeted her the same way, with a hearty hug. “Hey, Nyla! I’m so glad we’re finally meeting. It’s nice to put a face with a voice, and girl, I’m loving the outfit.Nice.”

“Thank you,” Nyla said. “And it’s great to finally meet you too.”

“Okay. I’m sorry. I guess I should’ve at least let you guys inside before attacking,” Piper said on a laugh and ushered them into the spacious apartment.

Harrison had been there often, but his sister had made a few changes since the last time. Instead of white, the walls werepainted a blue-gray, and she had also gotten new carpet that was a navy blue. Everything else, furniture, cabinets, and a few accessories were white. Anyone could tell she didn’t have kids or pets.

“You guys have a seat. Mom is in the bathroom. Can I get you something to drink?”

Before he and Nyla could respond, Harrison’s mother came into view.

His heart rate kicked up as they stared across the room at each other. She looked different from the last time he’d seen her. She used to have long, thick hair that went down her back, and for the most part, that was the same. Except now, there was more gray than black, and her hair hung in loose curls around her shoulders.

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