Mason bangs on the door, but Stone calmly turns away and trots back up the staircase. He doesn’t spare me a glance but moves straight to his mother who is wringing her hands with worry.
He doesn’t touch his mother, but he speaks gently to her. “Mom… you do not have to go with him. You can come into my place right now and stay as long as you want. You do not have to stay with him ever again. All you have to do is say the word, and I will take care of you.”
My eyes sting with tears at such a generous offer. His mother has never been there for him, and he did not witness what I saw his father nearly do to her. I guess Stone suspects that she may not be as complicit in his father’s delusions of grandeur but maybe is just too fearful to be anything other than what she is.
It’s incredibly sad and pathetic when she shakes her head and mumbles, “I’m sorry, but he needs me.”
She scurries past Stone, then me, and heads down the staircase. Stone follows her but as he passes me, he says, “Don’t go anywhere.”
He has yet to look me in the eye.
I assume Stone is going downstairs to make sure his dad doesn’t muscle his way back in. And I’m certainly glad he showed up to take care of the situation. But I don’t answer to his beck and call, and I remember that he’s the one who broke things off. I’m most certainly not going to wait around.
I head to my condo, unlock the door, and once inside, shut it behind me.
I lean back against it and sigh, my heart heavy that Stone once again had to see how much his parents don’t care about him. I hate that for him, and I hope it’s something he’ll be able to reconcile one day.
Odin is sleeping on the couch and makes a slow exit off of it, stretching luxuriously with a big yawn. He starts to walk my way but halts when my door is pushed open. Given that I’m still leaning against it, I am pushed out of the way, and Stone comes inside without an invitation.
“What are you doing?” I say as I whirl on him.
Odin growls, taking a cue from my exasperated tone.
Stone’s eyes move from me to Odin, and he points at my dog. “Don’t you even start in on me. I’m here to apologize to your mom, so give me a fucking break.”
His tone is harsh and any normal dog who doesn’t understand words but operates off vibes would’ve continued growling.
To my shock, however, Odin merely sits his butt down and watches us both carefully.
“I’m sorry, Harlow,” Stone says, and it jolts me that he’s speaking to me directly. I turn my head to him.
Stone’s palms move to my cheeks. “I’m sorry for all the stupid shit I said to you last night. I meant all of it, but I don’t want any of it to mean anything at all. Does that make sense?”
I frown and shake my head. “It makes no sense whatsoever.”
“What I’m trying to say is that all those feelings I had were real and legitimate, and they were clearly brought on by the fact that I have a fucked-up, dysfunctional family causing me doubt. But I was wrong in letting them eat at me in a way that caused me to give up on us. It’s not who I am. I’m not the guy who gives up anymore.”
That’s exactly what I needed him to say. It would’ve been all wrong had he apologized and said he didn’t mean it, because that would’ve been a lie. I know his doubts and fears are real. I know that while Stone has come a long way in the last several weeks, he still has pain and demons. Hell, I still have pain and demons.
The fact that he’s admitting them, but doesn’t want to be a slave to them, is exactly what I needed to hear.
I throw my arms around his neck and plaster my mouth to his. I know there is probably so much more to say, but honestly… it’s irrelevant at this moment.
And let’s not forget, he just threatened to kill his father if he ever touched me again. While I don’t wish any parent and child to have that type of divide, that fierce protectiveness tells me everything I need to know about this man.
Stone pulls his mouth away from mine and looks down at me. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you. I’m having a hard time reconciling that I have a career again. It’s harder still to believe that you’re real. Even harder is the realization I can love someone so much or even have the guts to admit that to you, because deep down… there’s still that small part of me that doesn’t want to trust any of this. But I have to try, Harlow. You’re too important to me to not try.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I murmur. My ears are ringing, and I feel light-headed because I’m pretty sure he just told me he loves me.
“You don’t have to say a thing. You only have to listen right now. I love you. I love the woman who stopped her dog from attacking me when I stormed into her office, the woman who battled addiction, the woman I came to know through my brother’s journals. The woman who I’ve now shared meals with, dreams with, passion with. If my behavior has set us back, all I’m asking is you give me another chance.”
My ears still ring slightly, and the dizziness is in check only because Stone is holding me. It’s with no hesitation that I say, “I love you, Stone. And I’ll give you a million chances to always make things right with me.”
“I don’t know why you’re so generous.”
“Because I know mistakes happen. I know weakness is an ongoing battle. I wanted to drink so much when you left my condo last night—”
Stone jerks me to him and wraps his arms around me tight, pressing his lips to the top of my temple. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that—”
I push him away and tip my head back so he can see my face. “Don’t you apologize for my weakness. I need to own it. It’s only when I own it that I can defeat it. You’re going to piss me off at some point in the future, Stone. You’re going to hurt my feelings again too. I’m probably going to do the same to you. It’s what people do to each other because we’re human. But if I know you love me, I can overcome anything. And what I hope you learn is that you have my love, my loyalty, and my absolute devotion. So you can overcome any weaknesses that decide to rear their ugly heads.”
Finally, Stone smiles. The tension, angst, and worry seem to melt away. “I think we might be a fucking match made in heaven.”
“I absolutely believe something bigger was at play in bringing us together.”
“Brooks,” he says simply.
I don’t know if Brooks is our guardian angel, or if some cosmic power put us on the same path.
I only know I’m never going to question it.
I’ll only ever be grateful.
I lift onto my toes and press my mouth against Stone’s. It’s the first kiss of our new life together, and I know there will be a million more to come.
CHAPTER 26
Stone
I stop at the door to Harlow’s condo and fish my keys from my pocket. It’s one key heavier now that I added hers four days ago when we made up.
Or rather, when I prostrated and begged forgiveness for being so stupid.
It was the shortest breakup in the history of breakups, although Harlow said we weren’t truly broken up. She calls it “my need to get my shit figured out.”