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Jo rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop her fingers from trembling. Why was he giving this to her now? Couldn’t he just go and leave her and her broken heart alone?
“Open it,” he commanded, and before she could think it through, she was tearing open the paper. Inside was a square gift box, and as she lifted the lid, her pulse started to thunder at the base of her throat.
Inside, nestled in a bed of cotton, was a gleaming white-gold pendant. She didn’t wear jewelry, never had, but when she held it up closer to her eyes, she immediately understood why Theo had chosen it for her.
“These are made from antique wax seals, ones that were actually once used by someone to seal letters,” he informed her, attention focused on her, laser sharp. “Your Louisa May Alcott probably used one. I didn’t know that then, but I’m just trying to make you like it more now.”
“I do like it,” she managed to force out through her dry throat. “But—”
“In case you haven’t looked that closely yet, it has two hearts on it,” he interrupted, smiling innocently when she glared at him. “They’re tied together with a ribbon. And it says forever.”
Jo felt her heart crack right open. “Why the hell would you give this to me now?”
“I love you, but sometimes you need to try to see beyond that thick skull of yours.” Her head snapped up, but he wasn’t done. “I was going to tell you that I loved you this afternoon, before everything went to shit.”
When he dropped down to one knee in front of her, Jo gasped. “What—”
“Just let me finish before you yell at me.” Grabbing one of her hands, he held tight even when she tried to pull away. “Look. You walked in right after I heard that news. I hadn’t even begun to digest it yet, and I needed to tell someone. You were it.”
“And I still think you should go.” This was a nightmare, bringing her so close to what she wanted before cruelly tearing it away.
“I don’t want to.” A cry of anguish tore out of her throat, and when he tried to speak again, she shook her head.
“You can’t stay because of me. You’ll resent the hell out of me, and I’ll wallow in guilt.” She swallowed past the sting of incoming tears. “But I...fuck, I’m just going to say it. I love you, too. You can be a cocky asshole, but you’re my cocky asshole. I... I’ll go with you. If you want me to.”
A grin as bright as sunshine spread over his face, and its light chased away some of the dread that crowded after her declaration. She absolutely would go with him, because she needed to be with him. But leaving her family would be one of the hardest things she’d ever done.
“I don’t want to go.” He growled overtop of her protest. “Hear me out, woman. This deal is amazing, but it’s not the deal for me. I’m not ready to turn Crossing Lines over to someone else. I might not ever be. And I don’t actually want to move. I’ve lived in lots of places, but this is the one that feels like home.”
“I—what?” Jo gaped down at him as a terrible hope sprang up inside her.
“But I want to stay on one condition.” Squeezing her fingers, he looked up at her, and love shone from his eyes. “I’d marry you tomorrow, but something tells me that you’ll inform me that that timeline is ridiculous. So I think, in exchange for my selfless decision to stay here in Boston, that you should move in with me.”
“Move in with you?” Jo couldn’t keep up. Her fingers clenched around the small box that she still held. “Next door?”
“That’s the idea. I know you’re attached to your family home, but I’ve discovered that I’m kind of attached to mine, too.” He cocked his head, studying her face. “I suppose I could move in here, but I think Ford might try to punch me in such close quarters, and it would be a shame to leave that giant house next door all empty. Just think, you could have an office. You could have a suite of offices.”
“You sweet talker, you.” Closing her eyes, she shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry I was such a bitch.”
“It’s part of your charm.” He rose to his feet when she snorted. “I’m serious. I love you, Jo, every last bit of you. I wish I had a ring to put on your finger right now, but today has been a little bit busy. Tomorrow we can go pick a ring.”
Unable to hold back the laughter, Jo allowed a tear to spill over. It scalded the tender skin of her cheek, allowing another to trickle down, and before she knew it she was crying full out, burying her clay-covered face in Theo’s T-shirt. He didn’t even complain, just pressed her against him as though he never wanted to let go.
“I don’t need a ring.” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. Lifting her head, she grinned up at him as a content she’d never imagined she could feel flooded through her like warm sunshine. “I only need you.”
“And I need you. I love you.” Dipping his head, he pressed a kiss to her clay-smeared forehead, then wiped the excess off his mouth with a grin. “Come on. Let’s go home.”