Page 183 of Sin
“I understand.”
“I don’t want to run from my life,” she says. “But I do want a new start.”
“You should have one.”
She watches me carefully. “You’re really not going to try to talk me out of it?”
“I want to.” I exhale. “Badly. There’s a very selfish part of me that wants to list every reason you should stay close enough that I can see you every day.”
Her eyes soften.
“But I won’t,” I say. “Because that would be for me. Not you.”
Her fingers tighten around the stem of her wineglass. For a moment, she says nothing.
Then she whispers, “Thank you.”
I nod once because my throat is tight.
The server brings our food. Neither of us moves toward it.
Laurel looks down at her plate, then laughs softly. “This poor pasta has no idea how emotionally inconvenient it is.”
That gets a real laugh out of me and her gaze snaps to mine, and for one second, she looks pleased with herself. I missed that.
I missed her.
She sets her napkin in her lap, then looks back up at me.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“I’m taking Sex Activity Pro because I want a new professional start.”
“So you said.”
“But…” She swallows. “I don’t want a new life that doesn’t have you in it.”
I stop breathing. She holds my gaze, brave and terrified.
“I’m not saying everything is fine. It’s not. I’m still angry. And hurt. And embarrassed. And scared. Some days I hate that I love you because it would be so much easier if I didn’t.”
My chest cracks open.
“Laurel.”
“No. Let me say it before I become a coward.”
I shut my mouth. She takes a breath.
“I love you,” she says.
The words hit me so hard the room goes silent.
“I love you,” she says again, softer. “And I want to try life with you. Not hiding. Not stolen. Not as your employee. Not as the woman everyone whispers about at SINsual.” Her mouth trembles. “As your girlfriend.”
Girlfriend. Such a simple word. Almost too young and too ordinary. It shouldn’t undo me the way it does. But after months of mistress, affair, employee, scandal, other woman— Girlfriend feels like grace.
