Love smiled sheepishly. “I guess they’re sick of us, huh?”
“Pretty much.”
Love motioned toward the inside of the apartment. “Can we sit down?”
He wordlessly led her in. Drake’s apartment was modern, as opposed to the traditional style of her condo. He didn’t like clutter, so there was very little furniture in his place, only what he needed. The pieces were was sleek, the design clean, the colors neutral, with only a flash of color here and there.
It had been months since she’d been at his place. She picked up a throw pillow as she sat on the sofa with him. “I like this,” she said lamely.
“You bought it.”
“Oh,” she said with a quick roll of her eyes. Deciding that now was the time, she added, “I wanted to catch you before you went to Baltimore. I feel like we need to talk, sort things out.”
“I’m not going to Baltimore.”
Her eyes snapped to his and her heart raced. “Really?”
“I turned them down.”
Love smiled and tears filled her eyes. “I… Why?”
“You know why.”
“But you gave your resignation at the hospital.”
“Your dad offered me my position back. He called this morning, apologized to me for interfering.”
“I know.” She still couldn’t believe her father actually apologized to Drake. Especially since he rarely admitted when he was wrong. “I’m shocked.”
“I know, right?”
Love picked at her pants, focused on the corner of the rug. Basically she looked everywhere but at Drake. “I’m glad you didn’t take the job.”
“Why?”
She met his gaze then, and didn’t look away. “I want you to stay. I want to work this out.”
* * *
Drake let out a shaky breath. Over the past few days, he’d imagined this conversation a million times. Except he’d always thought he’d be the one making the overtures. But now his wife was at his house, telling him that she wanted to be with him.
“I realize how wrong I was,” she said. “That I can trust this. I can trust my feelings for you, and yours for me. Because they’ve always been there. I was just afraid.”
“Of me?”
“Of us.”
“And you’re not anymore?”
She shook her head. “I want you to get rid of your apartment, and let’s make this official.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Are you proposing to me?”
Laughing nervously, she shrugged. “Would you accept?”
He stared at her, marveled at the way she nibbled on her lip. When he inhaled, she smelled like lilacs and peaches. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I want to hear what you have to say. You’re just staring at me.”
He hooked a hand around her head and pulled her into a kiss. She slid her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him and melting in his embrace. It felt good having her in his arms again.
She drew away first. “Is that your final answer?”
Drake chuckled. “If you’d seen me over the past few days, then you’d know it is.”
He’d been the “asshole of the century” according to his little sister. She’d overheard the fight between him and his father, and tried to be there for Drake. Unfortunately, she’d caught the brunt of his anger because she was the closest. He’d eventually run her away, but not before she gave him a piece of her mind and punched him in the arm.
Love had been stuck in his head like a melody. Many times he’d been tempted to drive to her house and lock her in the room until they figured everything out, but he’d always convinced himself to leave it be. And now that she was sitting in front of him, putting her heart on the line, he realized that him moving to Baltimore without her would have never worked, anyway. She’d made it clear that she wanted to complete her residency in Ann Arbor a while ago. There was no way he would have been able to live without her. He was hers for the taking.
“Marry me, Love.”
Her mouth fell open. “What? We’re already married.”
“No, for real.”
Drake wanted her to have the wedding that she’d always dreamed of, complete with cake, bridesmaids and a white dress that he hoped fitted her like a second skin.
“You’re serious?”
“Trust me, I’ve never been more serious.”
She beamed at him, and he closed his eyes to soak in the warmth of her smile. When she looked at him like that, his whole world opened up.
Since she was being honest, he figured he’d tell her some truths. “Love, you’re the only one for me. There is no one else that I would rather…get rid of my apartment for.”