“You will.” I kiss her once more, this time thrusting my tongue between her lips and dipping her back over my arm. When I come up for air, I look into her eyes, knowing without a doubt that this is going to work, that even if everything else turns to shit, we will be solid. We’ve found something within each other that neither of us was looking for, but it’s impossible to deny, and outside of that, nothing else matters. “See you in thirty days?”
“You will.” She lets me go, then gives me a smile. “Remember, I love your house.”
“I don’t care why you come back to me,” I tell her, and her face softens.
“Call me when you land.” She takes another step back, and I let her. With her out of reach, I turn and head for the open door of the small plane that will take me home, then stop to look at her once more. Seeing her looking so small and unsure, it kills me to hop into the empty passenger seat and wave goodbye to her. I know she’s nervous about what’s to come, and so am I. But I also know this is the beginning of our future.
Chapter 23
CYBIL
Standing in the doorway of my shop, I look around the empty space, feeling scared to death and full of hope for what’s to come. Tomorrow, Bernard, Maisie, Jade, and I are driving my clothes and other personal items to Montana, with all the stuff from my shop arriving a few days after we get there. Tanner wanted me to wait a few days so he could fly down and drive up with me, but I’m over being away from him, and after a month, even one more day feels like too much time.
When I hear a car pull up behind me, I flip off the lights in the shop and close the door before turning to see who’s here. I expect to see Earl, since he said he was going to stop by to say goodbye, but I’m surprised to find Galvin getting out of his car.
“Hey.” He tucks his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he walks toward me. “Do you have a minute to talk?”
Part of me wants to say no, but I know I need to get this over with, because tomorrow when I leave, I want to know that my past is in the past, where it should be. “Sure.” I walk to the deck and take a seat on the edge of it, and he comes to sit down next to me.
“So you’re really leaving tomorrow?”
“I am.” My fingers fidget with a thread on the bottom of my jean shorts. “What about you? Are you sticking around town?”
“I have to finish up a few things here; then Chris and I will be heading to Seattle next month.”
“You always did love Seattle,” I say quietly, and he startles me by grabbing my hand.
“I’m sorry, Cybil, so fucking sorry. I know I said it before, but I want you to know I didn’t want to hurt you. I never meant to hurt you.”
“I know,” I reply as my nose starts to sting.
“My one regret in everything that happened is that I didn’t trust you enough to tell you the truth, especially when you’re the one person I should have trusted.” His fingers squeeze mine. “It was selfish of me to drag you into that. I just . . . I wasn’t in a good place, and I was just scared, because I knew choosing Chris would mean losing everyone else I loved.”
“I wish you would have trusted me,” I whisper as tears I can’t control fill my eyes. “You could have trusted me.”
“I know.” His voice cracks, and I turn to look at him. When his eyes meet mine, I hate the pain I see in his gaze. “Do you think you might be able to forgive me someday?”
“I already forgave you.” I let out a deep breath, then rest my head on his shoulder. “Have you talked to your parents?”
“No,” he says quietly, and I squeeze my eyes closed. “I’m learning to accept that they might never come around.”
“I hate that for you.”
“It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” I feel his lips at the top of my head; then his hand lets go of mine so he can wrap his arm around my shoulders. “Are you happy?”
“Happier than I have ever been. Not that I didn’t love you, but—”
“I get it. You don’t have to explain being soul-deep in love with someone to me.”
“I guess I don’t.” I lift my head from his shoulder and turn toward him. “Life is funny. Who would have thought that, after years together, we’d be sitting outside my house talking about starting lives with other people?”
“Yeah,” he says with a laugh, and I can’t help but smile.
I stand up and shake my head as he looks up at me. It’s strange to think that his decision to end things between us, a decision that devastated me at the time, was the best thing he could have done—not just for him, but also for me. If he hadn’t, I might not have had the chance to fall in love, really fall in love, with a man who loves me so completely. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He stands, and I tip my head back to look up at him.
“For being brave enough to follow your heart. I know that wasn’t easy for you.” I lean toward him, and like a million times before, he opens his arms to me, and I rest my ear against his chest. “I want nothing but happiness for you.”
“I know.” His chin rests against the top of my head. “And you should tell that guy of yours that if he hurts you, I’ll be first in line to kick his ass.”
“I’ll let him know, as long as you tell Chris the same thing,” I say, and his arms around me tighten before he lets me go and takes a step back.
“Promise you’ll message me from time to time to let me know how you’re doing?”
“I will.” I clear my throat in an attempt to fight back the tears I feel creeping up my throat once again.
“I still love you. I know I shouldn’t say that to you, but I still do.” His eyes drop to his feet for a moment before he lifts his head to look at me once more. “I hope you get everything you ever wanted.”
Not trusting myself to not start sobbing, I nod, and he nods back before pulling his keys out of his pocket and heading to his car.
When he gets in behind the wheel, I lift my hand to wave, and he waves back before doing a three-point turn and taking off down the lane. As his taillights disappear out of sight, I look around, then head into my trailer to finish packing, feeling lighter than I have in weeks. Even a tad bit optimistic, because maybe, just maybe, he and I will be able to be friends again someday.
“It’s not too late to change your mind about moving,” Jade says quietly as her dad pulls in to park in front of her house, where I stayed last night, and I turn her way, feeling my stomach drop when I see sadness in her gaze as her eyes search mine. “But you’re not going to, are you?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I’m not going to.” I reach my hand out to her, and she wraps her pinkie around mine. Over this last month, one of the hardest things I’ve had to come to terms with is actually leaving the place I’ve always called home and the people who are my family. But even as difficult as it’s been, I know I’m making the right decision for myself, and my life. I know it’s going to take time to settle into living with Tanner, and I’m sure that we’re both going to have to do a lot of adjusting, but I feel whole when I’m with him, and there’s no way I’m going to deny myself that.
“I figured as much.” She lets out a deep breath. “I want to be selfish and to tell you that you’re making a mistake, but I can’t because I can see how much Tanner loves you and know that he’ll do everything he can to make you happy. I’m happy for you.”