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“Ian,” I say softly.
He shakes his head, adjusting the glasses resting on his nose. “It’s fine. You don’t have to say anything. I can take a hint,” he tells me.
“I am so sorry.”
“You don’t have to be. It’s not like you led me on or anything. I knew what I was getting into and you always made your position clear,” he states on a shrug. “I wish you nothing but happiness, Emilia.”
My heart aches because he’s such a genuinely good person. I didn’t know people like that still existed, but Ian has such a pure heart. It would be so easy to fall in love with him. But I can’t. Not when Sterling owns my heart in a way that annoys me half the time.
“You’re an amazing person, Ian Tucker,” I murmur. “I hope you find an amazing woman who makes you happy.”
“I’m sure I will.” He smirks, getting to his feet. “One last thing. Sterling Harrington, is he your baby’s father?”
Not a lot of people are aware of my baby’s existence, but Ian’s one of them. I knew I could trust him to keep a secret. I exhale a soft breath before nodding once in answer.
He smiles. “I hope it all works out between you two.”
“We’ll see.”
He steps forward to give me a hug and I hug him back, glad that we’re ending things on such an amicable note. When I glance toward the entrance, I find Sterling’s gaze fixed on us, his displeasure about the hug apparent. I roll my eyes.
Pulling away from Ian, I offer him a warm smile. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”
“I won’t.”
After one last look, I grab my purse, walking away and heading toward a man that could very well ruin my present. But I want to choose to believe in a future with him, as well.
Sterling doesn’t say a word when I reach him. He just grabs my hand, leading me out of the restaurant. Neither of us speaks until we’re seated in his car.
Eventually, he lets out a soft sigh.
“Why does it feel like you’re not happy to see me, angel?” he questions.
“Well, you did just crash my date and demand I end it,” I point out.
“I’m not going to apologize for that. You were wasting your time with him. We both know where you belong.”
My heart thuds in my chest. “Do we really? Because the last time I saw you, you were leaving me.”
He opens his mouth to speak but I continue before he can.
“It was a decision I supported one-hundred percent. I understand why you made that choice, Sterling. I’m not holding it over your head. It’s just, we ended things back then. You can’t just bulldoze your way back into my life and expect us to pick off where we left off,” I explain.
“Okay, first off, we didn’t end anything,” Sterling states. “We were never even together, angel. And second, I’m not trying to pick off where we left off. I want to start something new with you. I want us to be together, officially this time. No more false pretenses, no more secrets or hiding our true selves. I want you, Emilia. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes for you to accept that. I’m willing to wait as long as you want.”
My eyes grow glassy because he’s saying exactly what I’ve wanted to hear all this time that I’ve been waiting. I wanted nothing more than for him to come back and tell me all this.
No more secrets… He has no idea I’m hiding the biggest secret of all.
“There’s just…” I falter, gripping my hair. “There’s so much you don’t know, Sterling.”
“You can tell me,” he says patiently. “I’ll listen to it, all of it, angel.”
He has no idea what he’s asking for. He could very well hate me after all this and I’d only have myself to blame.
“Let’s just take it one day at a time,” I breathe.
“Sure. On that note, how about we go on a date tomorrow?” he asks. “Anywhere you want. Since I got reinstated as vice president of the company, I have access to the private jet. We could go anywhere—Peru, Thailand, South Africa.”