Page 130 of Desserts for Stressed People

Oh, God. Why am I sure there’s more? I can only hope he zoned out at some point.

Snapping his finger, he continues, “She also said something about how you won’t stop shining just because I’m intimidated by your light?” With a sweet smile, he shrugs. “But I think she was just running out of insults at that point.”

I bite down a grin. Though Emmareallydoesn’t understand the concept of boundaries, I can’t say I don’t feel lucky to have her on my side. And thankful that I’m not on herbadside. “I’m sorry she assaulted you like that,” I tell him as I wrap one arm around me and grip my elbow. “But I won’t apologize for what she said, because I believe she does have a point in—”

“She was one hundred percent right,” he whispers.

When my eyes widen, he stands. I do too, holding my breath as he looks down, his shoulders rising and dropping quickly. He rubs a hand over his forehead, opens his mouth, then closes it. As he stares up at me again, there’s a new resolution in his eyes. “Heaven, I spent the last two weeks wishing I had a time-traveling DeLorean to bring me to the past so I could fix the future.”

My heartbeat quickens, my hands suddenly tingling with the need to touch him.

“But there is no such thing. Not in real life.” He takes a tentative step toward me, then lets out a long, slow breath. “And since I don’t have a magic sports car to help me fix things, I figured I’d use an old-fashioned Mercedes Benz to find you, then apologize for everything I’ve done and hope you’d take me back.”

My heart is thrumming, breaths shaking out of my lips as my eyes glisten with tears.

He said he wants me back.

He said it withourmovie.

All I want to do is say yes. I want toscreamit. And then maybe jump on him, kiss him, spend a whole day sniffing his hair and touching him all over, until I’m convinced this is real. But it takes me a moment too long, and Shane Hassholm hasn’t been gifted with much patience.

“You never shut up, and you choose now to go silent on me?” he asks, nervously biting his lips.

My smile turns into a giggle, and only then, I see his shoulders relax. Taking a step forward, I whisper, “I’m not gonna leave you on read, Shane. I was just thinking about what to say.”

He nods, a chuckle bubbling out of his lips. “Any luck?”

Yes, so much luck. Luck hasn’t stopped smiling at me since the day I matched with Shane.Luckis that he matched back with me, and everything that has happened since.Luckis that we’re here, having this conversation.

I look up at him, his face so close to mine I can finally smell the sugar again. “I was wondering if this is the part where you kiss me.”

“But I haven’t apologized yet.”

“You’re forgiven,” I insist.

With a light chuckle, his hands cup both sides of my face. “Heaven, I’m so sorry. I—”

“It’s okay,” I breathe. “Water under the bridge.”

“Let me finish,” he says with a stern voice. “I promised I wouldn’t shut you out again, and when it counted, I didn’t let you explain. I hurt you because I was hurting. In spite of that, you’re here right now.” He turns to the white box, and once he looks back at me, there’s a sad smile on his face. “You fought for me, Heaven, and I just gave up.”

“But you didn’t,” I whisper. “You’re here too.”

The left side of his lips tilt up. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

I step on my toes, trying to reach his lips now that he said his piece.

“Still not done,” he says as he holds his index to my mouth. “Did no one tell you interrupting others is rude?”

Un-freaking-believable.

With a smirk, he reaches into the front pocket of his jacket, takes out a tiny black box, and stretches his arm, offering it to me.

“What the...” I stumble back, eyes flaring as my brain explodes into confetti. This is not what I had in mind—at all. I want to date him, to learn every bit of him, to grow and change together, not tomarryhim. We dated for two weeks!

Frantically waving my hands left and right, I stare at the jewelry box as if it might kill me. “No. No, no, no. Are you kidding me, Shane? No. Don’t do this to me, please.”

His lips twitch. “Five. That was five nos.”

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