Page 72 of Sunset Serenade
“Let’s get out of here.” Rose dusted herself off and started walking – off the ship, down the stairs, down the dock and as far away as she could get. She wanted to run from her embarrassment and her shame, and run away from crying, too.
Craig followed.
They were back on the street, the quiet storefronts lighting the night. Rose felt like she wasn’t going to cry, for once. She stopped and turned to look at him. “Listen, Craig, I’m sorry about that. I’ll do everything I can to find a buyer, and then you’ll never have to see me again.”
He stared at her, his eyes searching hers. “How much of that did you mean?”
She tilted her head. “When I was yelling at Brett?”
He nodded.
Oh. This was awkward. “How much of it did you hear?”
A smile crossed his face and he squinted. “Everything?”
Rose looked down at her shoes before forcing herself to look into his eyes again. “Everything, then. I think you’re brilliant, and I love –loved– working at SerenadeMe. I never meant to ruin it.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand. “Let me finish. This is the last time I’ll bother you.” She took a deep breath and steadied her thoughts. “I swear I never meant to lie, and I never meant for it to go this far. I should’ve told you sooner, but I didn’t.
“There’s no excuse. I messed up. I’m not a confident person, Craig. I was trying to be someone new, someone different. Someone who could be happy.
“I stayed in my last job forwaytoo long. I was used to being miserable, and I’d never been this happy before. I loved coming to work and seeing you. I loved matching clients. I even loved the weekly meetings with the programmers!”
Her voice fell quiet as he stared into her eyes.
She hadn’t put it into words before, but this was it. This was the truth, just as she knew it. “I pretended to be someone I wasn’t, and I think it’s because I liked who that person was. I could reallybesomebody, not just sad old Rose.”
His gentle gaze settled on her, his eyes shining in the night. “Youaresomebody, Rose. All the success you had was yours. That was you. That was reallyyou.”
“Yeah.” She scoffed. “I really messed things up.”
“No, you didn’t. I overreacted because I’m insecure. I was afraid I’d ruin the company, and I lashed out at you, but it was stupid. I like you, Rose. Whoever you are.”
The tears were threatening to make an appearance, flooding her eyes and blurring her vision. “Thanks. I like you, too.”
He took a step closer. “‘Like’ me? I think, and correct me if I’m wrong, you told Brett you love me.”
A laugh burst out of her. “Ah, did I? That doesn’t sound like me.”
He nodded. “I think it does.”
She looked down. “If I hadn’t cared about you, I never would’ve told you the truth.”
“I know.”
“I never meant for it to go this far.”
He nodded. “I know.”
“If I could take back what I did…”
Craig delicately brushed his hand against her cheek. “Please don’t.”
He leaned in, his lips against hers with the softest touch, like a butterfly taking off.
“I love you, too,” he whispered, pulling away ever so slightly.
She smiled, biting her lip. “Really? Did you mean Rose Woodson or Rose Woodley? Because we’ve had some confusion.”
