Page 76 of The Love Audit
“He was in love with my mother,” I whispered. If he was shocked by my declaration, he didn’t show it.
“Yeah,” he responded. “He’d been in love with her for almost his entire adult life and didn’t have the courage to tell her when it would have made a difference. It ruined his life, and it was also his biggest regret.”
“So what are you saying, Derek?”
“I meant it when I said that I don’t want to be like our parents. I didn’t understand fully what that meant then, but now I do.” He sighed and gripped my hand harder. “I’m not going to be my father. I love you. I’m gonna fight for you, for us. Whatever I need to do, for as long as it takes.”
“You hurt me, Derek,” I choked out on a sob. “You kept hurting me.”
“I know. I know, and I’m so sorry. I’m not gonna make any excuses. I’m not gonna blame our past or our parents. I’m a grown-ass man, and my choices are my own. I know I can’t just snap my fingers and earn your trust again, but I’m gonna try.”
“We can’t be an us until you resolve your differences with your past.”
“I know, and I’ve already started working on that.” He gave me a terse smile. “I’ve started seeing a therapist.” My eyes widened in shock. “I’m not going for you—well, not just for you. I’m going for me. My mother has been suggesting it for years, and I’m finally listening.”
“Derek, that’s… that’s great, but I don’t know if I can…” My voice shook.
“You don’t have to give me an answer, not now. I just wanted you to hear me.”
“I heard you.” I nodded. “I’m not sure if I’m ready to forgive you yet.” He nodded and hung his head in response. “But I’m willing to try.”
I felt a smile slowly spread over my face as he picked up his head to look at me. The look of pure elation on his face made my heart swell.
“You are?” A tear streaked down his cheek.
“I am.” I grinned at him.
“Come here, kitten.” He stood from the table, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me like his life depended on it. After a few long moments, he released me. He cupped my cheeks in his hands and stared at me like he was staring at a long-lost treasure.
“I love you, too, Derek,” I whispered, and he kissed me again.
“My hour’s almost up,” he whispered, and I huffed out a small chuckle, “but there’s one last thing I need to tell you.” He released me from his arms and retrieved a large black leather messenger bag from the kitchen counter. I was still reeling from the shock of seeing him here, not to mention his words. I wasn’t sure I could handle any more news.
“What is this?” I asked when Derek placed a small stack of papers in my hand. I leafed through them and recognized them as the papers I’d photocopied at the library. I couldn’t find them when I unpacked in New York, and I assumed I’d left them here when I was in a rush to leave. However, that didn’t explain what Derek was doing with them.
“This, my love, is howyousaved Miller’s Cove.” He smiled down at me. I was still confused.
“What?”
“Come sit down, and I’ll explain everything, but—” He raised an eyebrow.
“But what?”
“I’m gonna need an extension on my hour.”
“Boy, shut up.”
He slipped the papers from my hands and set them on the table, pulling me into another long slow kiss before we sat at the table.
“Did you get a chance to read any of these papers?”
“No. I tried, but a hundred-year-old legalese was way above my pay grade. I was planning to call in some favors, but things happened and…” I shrugged.
“This one”—he flipped through the stack before pulling one out that was marked with a yellow sticky note—“is a contract stating that no Miller’s Cove land can be sold without first consulting the leader of the other two families and offering the other two families first right of refusal to purchase the land before it can be offered to a third party, so—” My heart was racing, and I let out a gasp.
“The sale was illegal,” I squealed, my eyes stinging with tears.
“The sale was illegal.”
