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“I know, but I am, and⁠—”

“Why did you come here?” I ask, cutting off what I’m sure was about to be another apology.

The truth is, I’ve forgiven him.

I may not have realized it until he just walked through that door, but I have.

What he did…I get it. And to be honest, he was probably right. If he had told me at the beginning, I would have freaked out. What I told him online…well, it was personal. And knowing he knew all of that about me probably would have been too much.

Maybe there was a time in the past few weeks when I would have taken it better, but who knows. What’s done is done.

All we can do is focus on right now and tomorrow.

He rubs the back of his neck nervously. “I…uh…I wanted to be here for you tonight, even if you didn’t want me to be.”

My heart slams against my chest.

“I knew your dad was coming, and I knew you’d been feeling…Well, I’m not entirely sure how you’d be feeling, but I knew it wouldn’t be good. And…well…here I am.”

I shake my head.

“I can’t believe you came.”

He shrugs, still looking sheepish.

“I nearly talked myself out of it a million times.”

I push from the desk and move toward him.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” I admit, my voice deep and raspy with need.

No one has ever gone out of their way to do the kinds of things Garrett has done for me before. But tonight, him coming even though I haven’t returned any of his messages or calls this week…It means everything to me.

“I just wanted to help somehow, so…” He trails off, his eyes holding mine as I continue to close the space between us.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wasn’t sure if my presence would make things better or worse. The last thing I want to do is fuck this up even more,” he confesses.

“And what is this?” I ask.

He drags his bottom lip between his teeth as he finds his words.

Fuck, I want to be the one doing that.

“I…This week has been hell. I want you. I need you. I⁠—”

I cut off his words with my lips. Gripping the back of his neck with one hand, I wrap my other arm around his lower back and tug him against me.

It takes him a moment to register what’s happening, but once he does, he kisses me back without hesitation.

The split in my lip opens again, flooding my mouth, and I’m sure his, too, with the metallic taste of blood, but neither of us stops.

I can’t. I don’t even want to.

“Cooper,” he whimpers into our kiss. “I…I love you.”

I pull back, my chest heaving, my heart racing and just stare at him as those three words float around us.