Page 145 of Midnight Confessions

He takes his eyes off me and looks out at the crowd. “And he knew what he was talking about. He met his wife on the steps of his apartment building while she read a book. And in less than a year, she was his forever.That’sthe kind of man you want to listen to.”

My mom and dad. He’s speaking of my parents now. He knows their love story is my favorite of all love stories.Tears well in my eyes and Sondra reaches over to put her hand over mine, rubbing circles over my knuckles with her thumb.

Aleck’s eyes settle back on me. They travel my face, observing, holding my gaze with his warm pale-blues.

“Winter, I know I said I would give you the space you needed to move on. And I will, if at the end of this, that’s what you truly want. But I’m a lawyer, and I realized I haven’t had the chance to deliver my closing argument. I want to make sure you have all the facts you need to reach a genuine verdict.”

He peers at me with watchful eyes, so I nod, telling him to proceed. He smiles softly, then continues. “We already talked about why I bailed on you at the resort, but I never really got into why I felt like I couldn’t make you happy. A good portion of my childhood I was told I was nothing. That I would experience nothing resembling love because I didn’t deserve it. And I don’t feel bad about my childhood because it brought me to the family that I have now. And I guess you could say ultimately it brought me to you. After being adopted, I decided I would be the very best at absolutely everything I did, so I would never have to wonder if I deserved what I had. My money, my degrees, all of my success, it resulted in me leading a very controlled, very deliberate life. Without uncertainties, without gray areas, and vague standards. You can see how that made it hard for me to have relationships.”

The crowd laughs, pulling me back into reality, and that’s when I realize again we’re at a bar. And he’s speaking to me in front of everyone. I look out at the faces of the people watching him and they’re all mesmerized. As spellbound as I am, watching him with round, awestruck eyes.

“Whether any of us deserve each other, the most important thing we can do is to tell the people we love that we love themwhenwe love them. Because this whole thing started with me being told as a child that no one would ever love me. And I guess the best thing I can do now is make sure—when the time comes—to tellourchildren how loved they are. And how deserving they are of love, andeverythingthis world offers.”

Gasps come from the women in the crowd, sniffles and noses blowing into napkins sound in the distance. And my heart races and beats with the heavy drum of the love I have for this man.

“You’re my Everest, Winter. It’s an uncomfortable feeling having someone so big standing in front of you, reminding you of how small you are. And I wasn’t used to that feeling. Orreadyfor it. I don’t deserve you, I think we both know that, but I will spend the rest of my life making you happy. I haven’t done the right things or said the right things because, baby, you scare the shit out of me. But I’ve never backed away from a challenge and I’m here to tell you I want all the things you want in life, butgodI only want them with you.”

The crowd whistles and Aleck smiles, all of his beautiful teeth on display as it widens. He looks down at me from the stage and goosebumps cover my body.

“What do you want, Aleck?” I ask, my voice calm, but shaky.

“Glad you asked, Grimm. I’d like to renegotiate terms.”

A small smile casts over my lips as muffled conversations drift across the sea of watchful faces.

“Who the fuck is Grimm?” Keith whispers to Dottie.

“No idea,” she whispers back.

I lean into my chair, grab my champagne glass, and take a slow sip. Aleck’s smile deepens, amused by my nonchalance. I nod, urging him to continue.

“I propose we move in together.”

I lurch forward, nearly choking on my champagne, swallowing it down with a cough.

“I want to fall asleep with you in my arms every night. I want to wake up to you quietly snoring beside me—”

“I don’t snore.” I interject.

“Yes,” he nods. “You do.”

“Yes, you do, honey,” Sondra says with an apologetic smile.

“Whatever. Aleck, we can’t justmove in together.” I toss my hands in the air.

“We can, because why not?”

“Because it’s crazy, that’s why.”

“And I’m crazy in love with you. That’s a fact. That’s what I should have told you in your apartment. Fuck, I should have told you at the resort because I’m positive I knew then. That’s what I should have said every time I tried to fight for you and failed. I will love you on days I know I don’t deserve you, another fact. I will love you when it’s hard, and it hurts, fact. I won’t ever leave you or disappear. That’s a fact, Winter.”

Words fail me, and my mouth goes dry. All I hear is my pulse pounding in my ears. My eyes sting from holding back tears until I blink them away and they fall down my cheeks. Sondra releases my shaky hand as I lift it to swipe them off my chin.

“What if I move in with you and everything I do annoys you?”

A broad smile curls Aleck’s lips. “Baby, everything you do, including, but not limited to, wearing shoes without socksfascinatesme. Even when you make me so mad I want to pull my hair out by my impeccable roots, I still won’t be able to imagine my life without you. Now stop overthinking this and agree to my terms.”

I look at Sondra, she smiles warmly. Looking back at Aleck, I hear heckling from the crowd, urging me to take him back. Butterflies stir chaos in my stomach, making my limbs tingle, but I know what I want, I know what I deserve.

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