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“I do, too.” I slid off the stool and pulled her head to my shoulder. There were a lot of things I wished I had done differently. Especially in this moment as we stood together, finally seeing each other for what we could’ve been.
“I’m so sorry.” She pulled her face away. Her eyes shone. “You must hate me. No wonder you walked away. I was so stupid not to see how you felt. All these years … ”
“I don’t hate you.” But I did hate seeing her like this.
She traced my jaw, her fingertips skating along my five-o’clock shadow as she held my gaze.
It was almost as if …
No.Yet, it was right in front of me. With all the emotions we’d expressed tonight there was one missing.
I saw zero surprise.
“When did you know?” I asked, a sneaking suspicion beginning to weigh on my mind.
She turned her attention to the Quarters table in back.
Jack? Had that motherfuckertoldher?
“Come with me.” I led her past the stage and down the hall, into my office. After I acquired the property, I’d installed a shower in there and kept extra clothes in case I needed them.
She didn’t protest as I deposited her onto the small couch so I could find a washcloth and tissues. I wiped at her face with the soft cotton before handing her the tissues. Then I settled in beside her.
All of this seemed surreal.
“Why didn’t you say anything, Killian? Why did I have to learn that you were in love with me from the guys? You walked away and let me think our friendship had just run its course.” The tissue crumpled under the onslaught of her fisted hand.
“I figured by then I’d already lost you.” I took a deep breath. “I was an idiot not to fight for you.”
A fleeting grin flashed across her face. “Yeah, you were.”
I nudged her with my shoulder.
“So where do we go from here?” she asked. A frown tugged her perfect lips down, making me want to kiss it away.
“I guess that depends … ” I was afraid to say the rest.
“On what?” Her voice sounded a little higher than usual and hope shone in her eyes.
Or maybe I was imagining what I wanted to see.
I smoothed the furrow of her brow with a light kiss to her forehead and she didn’t push me away. “What do you want, Tris?”
She still hadn’t said anything about how she felt for me. The feelings we spoke of had been my past feelings. Neither of us had mentioned the present.
Her cheeks turned that beautiful shade of pink that I loved. “Well … I’m very attracted to you. And I’ve always cared deeply about you, Killian. It hurt so much not having you in my life.”
My heart lurched at her confession. “I’m attracted to you too.”
A shy smile appeared. “I can tell.” Briefly, her gaze flicked to my lap.
I grinned. “You can, huh?”
I was glad she’d cried her makeup off because her cheeks were flaming now, and I relished it.
She swatted my arm playfully. “I would like to explore what’s happening between us.”
“Good. Come here.” I tugged her onto my lap so that she straddled me. “I do too.”