Page 120 of The Affair
It was a poor attempt at humor, but I was literally terrified.
Until I saw the candles on the table.
As I took a step forward, a small gasp escaped my lips.
Sawyer was here. He walked toward me, his eyes bright and his smile glorious.
God, I missed him.
“Are you my intruder?” I asked.
A small smile tugged at his lips. “Depends. Are you going to have me arrested if I am?”
Feeling immensely relieved to see him, I answered in jest, “Depends. Are you going to feed me?”
My attention turned back toward the table where not only had he lit candles, but he’d also set out an entire meal. Just like before.
“Are you a fan of gnocchi?”
Grinning from ear to ear, I leaped into his arms, unwilling to let another moment go by with so much space between us. “I’m so sorry I left.”
His head fell to my chest and I felt him inhale, like he was breathing me in. “You came back; that’s all that matters.”
“I did,” I acknowledged. “And I’m not going anywhere ever again. I promise.”
“Good,” he breathed out. “Because I meant what I said. You’re all I want, Elle. You’re all I’ve ever wanted, and I want to make you happy.”
When I placed my feet back on the ground, our gazes met, and I reached up to cup his face. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He smiled.
I didn’t know how long we stood there, wrapped in each other like our lives depended on it. This was all I wanted.
Just him. Forever.
“I know I left, and I know you have a lot of questions, but I want you to know I’m ready. For us. For all of this. I’m so ready.”
“I’ve always been ready for you, Elle. Always.”
As I looked up at him, my grin widened. “How did you get in here?”
“Your mom mailed me an extra set of keys she still had.”
“What?” My mouth fell open. “You’ve been talking to my mom?”
He nodded. “When I couldn’t get ahold of you, I got worried. So I asked around, and sure enough, someone in town had her number. How is she?”
“She’s good. Not great, but we’re hoping she’ll get there eventually.”
“And you don’t need to go back? Because I would understand—”
Placing a finger on his lips, I stopped his words. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”
He answered me with a kiss that lasted a lifetime as we slowly got reacquainted with one another.
“And so you asked her for the keys so you could surprise me when I came back?” I finally asked.
“That was definitely a bonus, but no. I asked for the keys so I could keep the store open while you were gone.”
