Page 84 of When You're Gone
“I applied to school in Virginia. I’ve been conditionally accepted to College of Norfolk and River City State, but I’m still waiting to hear back from River City’s art department. I’m going to finish my degree, but I want to double major in Art and Advancement so I can grow into my role with the New Hope Foundation. I have a realtor in Norfolk already looking at office spaces, and we’re focusing the search within a five-mile radius of your office. I gave notice at Clinton’s, and my dad and I are almost done packing up the house. He accepted an offer a few weeks ago, and they close at the end of next month.”
Rhett pulled back slightly to stare at her in awe.
“I… I also reached out to Chandler.”
He cocked one eyebrow at that admission.
“I drove down to Columbus to meet with her. I know that might have been overstepping… but I just felt like it was something I needed to do. I told her everything. I apologized on both our behalfs. We talked about you, of course, and about the baby. It was hard, but it was the right thing to do.”
“V… I don’t understand. Why did you do all this?”
She scoffed at his question. Wasn’t it clear?
“You told me to be sure that who I am now still wants you. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t know who I was anymore because I wasn’t letting myself grow. I was desperately trying to cling to everything that once was, to the point that I was missing out on everything that could be.”
“You didn’t have to do all of this, beautiful. I didn’t mean you needed to change…”
“Yes, I did. I didn’t do it just for you, Rhett. I did it for me, too. This is what I wantandneed: a fresh start, a real career, my husband by my side. This is my happily ever after. I was so desperate to cling to some semblance of the past, thinking I was honoring my mom or being true to myself by digging my heels in. But it was the exact same pattern I always accused my dad of falling into. There’s nothing but a shell of my former life in Hampton… a watered-down version of myself that I was scared to let go of.
“You said it yourself: people grow. People change. I was scared, and honestly, I’m still scared, but I’m more afraid of staying stagnant and losing you. So this is me choosing you. I want to be where you are, always. I want to build a life with you in Virginia. I. Want. You.”
She kissed him between the last three words, sealing her commitment and promising him forever.
“I’ve gotta admit,” Rhett started, his head bowed low, his words only intended for her. “I was trying to manage my expectations about tonight. I didn’t know what I was coming back to… if you had decided anything, or if you were ready to move forward. But V… I’m blown away. Never in a million years did I think you’d dream up a dream this big for us. I honestly can’t thank you enough. For trusting me. For choosing me. For not being afraid to grow and push out of your comfort zone. I can’t promise you it’s always going to be easy for us, beautiful. But I can promise you it’ll be worth every struggle.”
He kissed her again, only pulling away reluctantly to whisper in her ear, “Please tell me I get to fuck the Associate Director of Development for the New Hope Foundation soon.”
She cackled and grinned up at him. “I’ll do you one better,” she offered coyly. “What if I said you could fuck the Associate Director of Development right now?”
“I would tell you to grab your room key and say bye to your friends and new colleagues. You won’t be seeing them again tonight.”
Chapter thirty-five
Rhett
Heletheroutof his grasp so she could put the key in the elevator and grant them access to the penthouse suite. He had booked a room, too, but he had no idea where it was located, and Tori said all her stuff was in the penthouse already. Who was he to argue?
As soon as she selected the right floor, she whirled around and jumped him. There was so much fabric between them it was hard to find her waist. But he was determined, borderline ravenous. He had hungered for this reunion for so long. He needed to feel her now.
Their lips smashed together in a desperate attempt to confirm everything they were both feeling. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and groaned when she pushed back, meeting him stroke for stroke.
“Want to see a trick?” she whispered as she licked him from his shirt collar to the lobe of his ear.
“Always.” He growled appreciatively at her eagerness. He was so damn happy to be holding her in his arms.
She pulled away, twirled on her heel, then hit the emergency stop. The elevator lurched to a halt as she turned back around to face him.
He raised both eyebrows as she gave him a coy smile.
“That was just part one.”
He grinned as she dropped low in front of him, tulle fanning out all around her in the process. There was so much fabric it filled the entire elevator. He was standing in a puddle of purple.
“What are you doing?” he murmured as she reached up and undid his belt. Her eyes lit up mischievously as she pulled it off with a flourish, then made quick work of his button and zipper.
“Showing you my trick. I’m a cupcake,” she deadpanned. She held out her arms for emphasis, as if he had somehow missed the tulle that was engulfing her body on all sides.
“V.” He chuckled as he reached down to pull her to her feet. “We can wait until we’re in the room…”
