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“I think you do,” she insisted, while Henry gave us a thumbs up and moved away too.
Their voices faded into the distance while Sean and I looked at each other.
“How are you?” he asked, his gaze roving over my face. “I … I’ve tried and failed to not think about you in the past few weeks.”
I nodded, feeling my eyes moisten. “I’ve missed you, Sean.” I hesitated. “You’re really here for me? Even though we broke up?” I asked.
“Yes, a long time ago, you’d said you skipped your high school graduation because there was no one to cheer for you. Well, this,” he said, “is us showing you that you’ve still got us even if we aren’t together and—” Sean broke off, trying to collect himself.
I nodded, feeling my throat dry up. We kept our gaze on each other, and I was painfully aware of how much I’d missed every bit of him.
“Sean,” I whispered as people laughed and talked around us, “I’m finally letting Henry go.”
He nodded slowly. “He told me.”
“I was going to tell you about that too. I wanted to do this one thing first to prove to you and me that I can stand up for myself,” I said and hugged him. “I feel horrible that Henry is going away. But it’s a small, horrible feeling. Not as big as the horrible feeling I had when I thought I’d lost you.”
He smiled that wonderful smile that lit up his face.
“Sean,” I said, “seven months ago, when Bruce gave up on me, I decided on a few things. One, I would never find a man who could truly care for me. Well, you proved that wrong when you fixed my bed after you saw my bruises. Two, I decided there was no way I could find a man who wouldn’t run when he realized Henry was a part of my life for good. And you didn’t run. You wanted him to move into the same building with us. And the last thing I decided was that there was no way I could find a man who could value me higher than his work.”
My voice shook. “When you left DC and your meeting with Mark Waldorf to see me, well, I should’ve known then that you were special.
“I love you, Sean. I’m not perfect. I am nervous and petrified, but I’m here. I’m here to tell you I’m sorry for bailing on our relationship a month ago. That it was foolish of me to run away from you when you were so clearly committed. You’re everythingI want in a partner, Sean, and I was stupid to not see it earlier. To be scared and push you away. I’mterribleat relationships. I worry too much and have spent too long having no strong sense of self. But I love you. So very much. And I want to be with you, if you still want me. I want to keep fighting to be together again. If you’ll forgive me and if you’ll have me back, I want you. All of you.”
Sean had an impossibly hopeless look on his face. “I’ve wanted you since I saw you at the café for the very first time, Chloe,” he said with an unusual tenderness in his voice. “I’ve thought of you since that day, and weeks later, when I saw you at work, I was determined I wouldn’t be around you. Because I knew I couldn’t stay away, couldn’t resist falling for you if you were around me at work. And that’s exactly what happened. I fell for you—hard. A man can’t fall out of love easily when that happens. It’s been a month since we saw each other, but it might as well have been years. Staying away from you has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
He came in closer and put his arms around my waist, drawing me to him.
I stared up at him, my hands slipping up to his shoulders, meeting at the back of his neck.
His eyes never wavered from mine. “Chloe,” he declared, “I couldn’t be apart from you if I tried. So, my answer is yes, Chloe.” His eyes were soft and loving as he smiled back at me. “I really, really want to get back together with you.”
In response, I leaned up and kissed him.
We kissed until I heard a voice say, “See, I knew they’d make up soon!” and we broke apart to see Lucas, Erin, and Henry with bright and cheery smiles as they clapped for us.
Sean extended his arm, and Lucas ran and gave us a giant hug, his arms enveloping his dad and me.
62
CHLOE
Iwoke just as dawn broke, lying in a bed that was as soft as a cloud. I turned to glimpse the man next to me. A sight I still hadn’t gotten used to after a week. When my eyes came to rest on Sean, I noticed he’d awakened earlier than me, and he was lying on his side, propped up on his elbow. Just looking at me.
“How long have you been awake?” I asked, glancing at the clock. It was a little after seven in the morning.
“Not long enough,” he said, placing a kiss on my forehead before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me closer.
It had been a magical, busy week. A few days ago, after Henry’s graduation ceremony, Sean had suggested we take a quick vacation, just the two of us. I agreed, and we visited the little town of Southampton.
It had been a wonderful three days of lounging about in a luxurious hotel and having nothing but glorious, wonderful sex. We’d had meals at odd hours, stayed up late, and said goodbye to any and every notion of a routine.
Now that we were back in New York, in Sean’s old apartment, I considered my options. Most of my things were still in myapartment, and I knew I’d have to go back sometime. It felt strange, waking up in Sean’s apartment without having Henry around. I had no idea about Henry’s current schedule, but he’d been happy and made an effort to ensure our calls these days focused more on my life and the changes I’d been having than his.
Henry was packing, and soon, our apartment would be empty. That hurt deep, but I knew it was a choice I’d made, and it was the price I had to pay. I’d chosen another life, and our childhood apartment wouldn’t be ours anymore.
Sean leaned in, trailing kisses down my neck.