Tegan: I’ve called twice. Please call me back so I know you’re alive and well.
Tempe: Are you okay? Remember, what happened wasn’t your fault.
Lena: Sorry I told you not to talk to Andy, but…you know I love you. I don’t want you to get hurt any more. Call me.
Leesa’s thoughts returned to Andy and the look in his eyes when his father silenced him. She didn’t know why she’d put so much importance on him admitting that he’d lied. He was a kid who’d made a stupid mistake. She’d always known that, and he was obviously paying the worst price of all of them. He’d looked forlorn and distraught, and it had hurt to see him that way. But once she’d recognized the look in his eyes for what it was, she’d known. He was too mired down with guilt to even think straight. He might not have understood the levity of his accusations at the onset, but now he clearly did. She knew now that his words would have been the icing on the cake, but she didn’t need icing on a cake. The help Andy needed would have to come from another source. His parents, therapists. The right people for the job. She’d needed to come back to forgive him, to set him free. And in doing so, she’d set herself free, too.
She didn’t want to be back here where the accusation still seemed so fresh and her own home felt wrong. She didn’t need to be here to keep the memories of her father, of her childhood, alive. They were part of her. They would always be part of her. And she knew now that even if someone, somehow, recognized her as Annalise Avalon, the teacher who was accused of touching a teenage boy, she was strong enough to hold her head up high and say, Falsely accused, and move on with confidence.
The light changed as she picked up the phone and hit Cole’s speed-dial number and the speaker button. She couldn’t wait to tell him she was coming back, and she hoped he still wanted her. As she turned down her street, her call went to voicemail. Fresh, happy tears slid down her cheeks as she left a message.
“Hi. It’s me. I didn’t get too far with Andy, but—” The phone slid from her hand at the sight of Cole stepping from his car. His dark eyes swept up the road. She threw the car into park as a smile tore across his cheeks and reached his gorgeous dark eyes. He came around the car as she pushed the door open and leaped into his arms.
He smelled heavenly, and when he sealed his lips over hers, he tasted like home, love, happiness. He tasted like her future.
“You’re here,” she said as their lips parted. “I told you not to come, and you’re here.”
“I missed you too much to wait another second. Are you okay?” He pressed his lips to hers again in another incredible kiss, and she melted against him.
“Andy didn’t admit he lied.”
“I’m sorry. I know you hoped for an apology.”
“I did, but once I got there and saw how conflicted he was, I realized that wasn’t what was important. I’ll probably never get an apology, and that’s okay. It turns out that’s not what I needed after all. I told Andy that I forgive him, and even though I’ve never felt like I blamed him for what happened to me, somewhere deep inside I must have. I must have not only blamed him, but I must have been even angrier at him than I allowed myself to believe, because forgiving him set me free, too. I’ll probably always worry about someone bringing up what happened, but—”
“Angel.” He kissed her again, and the kiss said more than words ever could.
She wanted to tell him that he was what she needed—his faith in her, his arms around her—but when their lips parted, before she could get a word out, he said, “I love you. I love you for who you are, past and all. If you need to look over your shoulder, I’ll look first. If you’re scared, I’ll keep you safe. Come home with me, Leesa. Move in with me. Build a life with me. Let me fight your battles with you. Let me love you in all the ways you deserve to be loved.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
COLE LAY BESIDE Leesa with the breeze from the open window beside Leesa’s bed brushing over their naked bodies. Leesa was draped across him, her thigh over his, her cheek against his chest, and she was fast asleep. The sun was just beginning to peek through the sheers, promising to smile down on them today. He threaded his fingers through her hair, marveling at the settled feeling inside of him. Normally, he’d pop out of bed for a run, or his mind would already be ticking through his patient load for the day or tests he needed to follow up on. Surprisingly, even as he drew those thoughts to the forefront of his mind, they didn’t remain there. Thoughts of Leesa were too present to allow much else. He hadn’t been sure what to expect when he’d driven to Towson yesterday, and if he were honest with himself, he wasn’t exactly sure what he’d say to her when he finally saw her. He’d thought he’d made up his mind not to pressure her to come back to Peaceful Harbor.
But then he’d seen her car and his pulse had quickened.
And then he’d seen her face through the window, and his heart had leaped.
And when she was in his arms, he was powerless to restrain his love for her, and the words came effortlessly. By some grace of God, she’d agreed to move in with him. Afterward they’d made love, and she succumbed to the numb sleep of a satisfied lover. He watched her sleeping beside him and knew that if she’d said she needed to stay in Towson or move to Baltimore, he’d have given up his world to be with her.
Her hand moved sleepily over his chest, drawing him from his thoughts. She lifted sleepy eyes to his and smiled. “You really are here. It wasn’t just the best dream ever.”
He leaned in for a kiss, and she met him halfway. “I’m really here. I was so worried about you. How are you today? Any thoughts about the promises we made last night?”
She moved up so they were eye to eye and touched his scruffy cheek. Her brows knitted together. “Yeah, I have some thoughts.”
His heartbeat kicked up, and as he turned his face to her hand and kissed her palm, he waited for her to say more.
“I like your promise to always be with me.” She pressed her lips to his. “And I like my promise to move in with you.” She kissed his cheek, and the worry that had toyed with him disappeared, replaced with desire as her hand dropped to his erection. “But there was one promise we didn’t make.”
He tried to think past the feel of her hand stroking over his hard length, but she knew just how to touch him, just how to whisper, to make his mind fuzzy and his body hot. “What…promise?”
She pressed a kiss to his chest and flicked her tongue over his nipple, sending shocks of lust straight to his cock.
“Leese…” Holy hell he wanted to be inside her.
“Mm, you like?” She kissed a path across his chest and teased his other nipple. Every flick of her tongue made his erection twitch in her hand. “Oh yeah,” she whispered, “you like that.”
In one swift move, he wrapped his arms around her and shifted her body beneath his, perching on his elbows above her smiling face. Her thighs fell open, and the tip of his arousal pressed against her wet center.
“The promise?” he panted out. “Tell me before my brain stops functioning. I’ll promise you anything.”
She lifted her hips and shifted south, pushing the wide crown into her heat.
“Leese,” he warned. “We need a condom.”
“I know,” she said as she leaned up to kiss him. “I just wanted to feel you for a second.”
“With how good you feel, if you sink down any deeper, you’ll get us both in trouble.”
She grinned, and he growled, which drew a sexy laugh from Leesa as he pulled out. She pressed on his hips, keeping him against her.
“Last night, before we made love, you said you were going to cut back on working long hours and not bring work home. I don’t want you to change for me, Cole. I love who you are. I love how you care about your patients and that you read over their charts at night so you’re prepared for the next day. You captured my heart while doing those things. It’s who you are, and I respect that part of you. Please don’t change.”
He touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes for a beat. How had he gotten lucky enough to find someone who accepted him for who he was? And would that lead him to lose her somewhere down the line? Would she feel neglected?
She must have seen the conflict in his eyes when he opened them, because she touched his cheek again in that soothing way she had and said, “And I promise you that if I ever feel like you’re ignoring me, or like we need more couple time, I’ll tell you before it becomes a problem.”
He swallowed past the emotions threatening to claw through his chest.
“Leese, I don’t want to start out wrong. I adore you, and I want you to know that with every ounce of your soul.”
“I do. I promise.”
“Okay. I promise, too. But when you eventually marry me, and we have a family, I’m changing my hours for good. Because when we have babies, I want to be right there with you every evening, every weekend, marveling at every milestone and every smile of the little people we bring into this world together.”
She reached for a condom with a mischievous smile. “Perfect. But I think we’d better do a lot of practicing to make sure we get it right.”