Page 108 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

“You’re early,” he said as he wiped his hands off on a towel.

I nodded, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to speak.“What did you do?”

He glanced around and back at me. His cheeks were red, as if he was unsure if I would like this surprise. “I was hoping to get a few more things done before you saw it.”

“I can’t believe you did all this,” I whispered.I was at a loss for words.

He stepped closer. “Do you like it?”

I sputtered out a laugh. “Are you serious right now? I’m stunned. How did you manage to get it all done?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Called in a few favors. Had my guys working around the clock. I wanted this done before our wedding tomorrow. It’s my gift to you.”

“Brooks.” I covered my mouth and hiccupped on a sob. “I don’t even know what to say.”

He closed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms. He was sweaty and smelled like paint and sawdust, but I didn’t care. I rested my forehead against his chest while his hands went to my back. I took a moment to breathe him in and allow myself to sink into the comfort of his arms.

“There’s still room for you to add some of your personal touches,” he said, swallowing hard and tightening his grip on my back. “I wanted you to walk in here and feel like it was yours. I wanted to surprise you.”

I looked up and ran my fingers along his stubbled jaw. “Thank you. This is the best surprise.”

“You’ve been through hell, and I know I don’t have the kind of money you’re used to, and can’t buy you everything, but this was something I could give you.”

“I don’t want anything, Brooks. You are all I need.”

His thumb rubbed small circles along the base of my spine. “I just want you to be happy.”

“Well, congratulations. I’ve never been happier.”

He grinned and took my hand. “Come on, it gets better.”

Before I could ask where we were going, he led me upstairs. When we reached the top of the landing, it took me a second to realize he was leading me to the master bedroom.

“Go on,” he encouraged and slowly opened the door.

There was a king-sized bed where the queen used to be. A soft, blue quilt and throw pillows were neatly arranged on the mattress. He spun around, and I followed him over to the closet.

Flannel shirts and Henleys hung neatly next to my sweaters and dresses. A pair of beige Timberland boots sat on the floor beside my heels.

“What is all this?”

He stepped up to my back. “This is going to be our house.”

His words knocked the wind right out of me. I turned around and blinked hard. “What about your house?”

We hadn’t talked about it, but I assumed he would want to keep it. I would have been perfectly fine using this as a second property.At the very least, I thought we could use this on the weekends when the weather was nice.

He placed his hands on my hips. “It’s just a house. I don’t have a sentimental attachment to it like you do here.”

He was trying to rationalize and play down how much it meant to him.

“But you built that house.”

He exhaled and looked away. “Yeah, I built it for a life I envisioned living. The truth is, when I built that house, I was looking for a distraction, something to pour my energy into. Anything to keep me occupied and take my mind off you. That house wasn’t built for us; this house matters. It means something.”

His confession shattered something inside me. Because he was standing in front of me, telling me it meant nothing, but it meant everything. He was willing to give something up that he poured his heart and soul into just to make me happy. I was the one who walked away, and he still wanted to build a life with me. I pressed a hand to my mouth, trying to hold it all in, but the tears came anyway.

“Listen to me.” He wiped at my cheeks. “I don’t need that house. We can sell it, keep it, or do whatever we want with it. We don’t need to make that decision today.”

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