As who I am, the ruler of this land.
There was a short instrumental transition, as the last word held, then faded, and the song quieted again.
That song had been for him. He could feel it in his bones. She was telling him that she loved him, and he’d thrown away her love because he’d been too wrapped up in his past to see the truth.
She had seen him all along. She had seen him for who he really was.
Daria’s hand landed on his shoulder. “Go,” was all she said.
Chris practically ran out the door.
Chapter Eighteen
“I can’t believe you’re leaving.”
Gali was sitting on Minh’s bed, watching her pack her clothes into an old beat up suitcase.
“I can’t either,” she whispered, staring down at the electric blue top she was holding. She’d worn that on their first date. One of the best nights of her life.
Instead of dropping it into the suitcase, though, she set it on the “giveaway” pile she’d started.
Seeing it there made her heart hurt.
“I take it he hasn’t called?”
Minh shook her head. She’d tried everything. She’d e-mailed him the piece, sent it on a thumb drive…
He should have received it already. Maybe he hadn’t listened to it. Or maybe he had, and hated it.
Either way, she told herself not to hope. There was too good of a chance that he wouldn’t care.
But she hadn’t believed it until an hour ago, when her phone stayed silent and Gali had come home from her morning sessions with a few cardboard boxes that had been stashed at the wellness center where she rented space.
“He’s such an asshole.”
Minh nodded this time, then picked up a stack of shirts and pushed them into the luggage. “But I can’t waste any more time thinking about him. This job is going to be hard enough without all that crap weighing on me. I’m starting over.”
“Is that why you’re giving away so much?” Gali pointed to the large pile of things on the bed.
“Yeah. I—” She looked at the blue shirt on top of the pile. “I had too much stopping me before. Too many rules, too much fear. I need to break away and do something different if I’m going to be happy.”
Different isn’t a disadvantage.
But sometimes, it hurt like hell.
She reached out and grabbed the shirt back, fingering it. She’d probably get rid of it someday, after a good, long cry. But for now…she couldn’t quite bring herself to leave this behind. It was almost a symbol of the lesson she’d learned. One that she was grateful for.
That she owed to Chris, no matter how much of a jerk he was for jumping to conclusions like he had.
“I’ll miss you,” Gali whispered.
Minh tipped her head back and closed her eyes for a second, unable to deal with this just yet. But next to her, Gali gasped, and the next thing she heard was a man’s voice.
“I’ll miss you too.”
She opened her eyes, swinging her face toward the doorway.
“Chris.”
…
“Minh.”
It was almost exactly like that first morning after they’d met, when she’d answered the door and breathed out, You, and everything in his body had known that she was something special.
He just hadn’t realized it until he’d thought it was too late.
Shit. It still might be too late, judging by the wary look she gave him.
But Gali had already gotten up and was walking past him, leaving him alone with Minh. If she was giving him a chance, it had to mean that Minh hadn’t completely given up on him, right?
God, he hoped so.
“What are you doing here?”
She was standing by her bed, staring at him in surprise, and his pulse kicked up at the mere sight of her. Damn, she was beautiful.
And he loved her.
“I’m here because I couldn’t just call you on the phone. I had to see you.”
One side of her mouth quirked up. “I meant, why do you want to see me?”
Of course. Damn. Of course. He must look like an idiot. But he was so nervous. Scared. “I had to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was an asshole and an idiot and I should never have doubted you. That’s why I wanted to see you.”
“I didn’t cheat on you.”
“I know. That wasn’t really—”
She put her hand up and he shut up immediately. He wasn’t going to risk upsetting her. Not when there was a chance, no matter how small, that he might win her back.
“As far as I knew, we didn’t even have a relationship. That’s how you made me feel. And I still wanted you. I took that meeting with that creep Bolton, because I knew he was up to something and wanted to warn you. I went even though you made me think you didn’t want me, because I knew that you would trust me.”