“I’m ready to fight for her,” I say, determination coursing through me.
“Good.” Ivan stands up and walks in my direction. He gives my shoulder a squeeze and says, “Just tell her how you feel, man. What’s the worst that can happen?”
The worst thing that could happen after I bare my soul to her would be being rejected by the one person who still holds my heart in her hands.
“Christ, this angst you three have going is killing me. I need to go make a birthday drink for my girl.” Ivan walks away, shouldering his way through the crowd. He stops next to Grace and leans in to say something in her ear. She nods, turns and heads toward the basement.
Dragging my shaking fingers through my hair, I push through the crowd, my eyes locked on her. She opens the door to the basement and heads down the stairs. Taking a deep inhale, I trail her, climbing down the short flight of stairs. When my foot hits the last step, I stop and take her in as she rummages through the stack of boxes on her right. Her hair is bunched up in a ponytail on top of her head, which makes her features stand out. She’s changed over the past year. Gone is the girl who kept everyone at arm’s length. She’s more confident now, curvier, more beautiful, and I’m so proud of her for how far she’s come. My heart feels like it’s about to burst from my chest and land at her feet. What I feel for her cannot be put in words.
I firmly plant my feet on the floor to keep myself from stalking forward and shove my hands inside my pockets. I clear my throat to alert her of my presence, then say, “You look like you could use a hand.”
I spin around, my heart racing inside my chest, a scream dying in my throat. “Sol! What are you doing down here? You scared the crap out of me.”
“Shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He removes one hand from his pocket and drags it through his tousled hair. “Need help?” His gaze darts to the boxes at my feet, then up to my face.
I tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear, feeling self-conscious. The way he’s staring at me—“I, um . . . Ivan sent me down here to look for some specialty rum he needs to use to make MJ a special birthday drink, but I can’t find it. What are you doing here?”
He steps closer, then halts. “I, uh, can we talk?”
I straighten and shake my head. “Look Sol, it’s almost midnight, and I don’t want to miss the countdown. Maybe we could do this later?”
He moves closer, close enough for the scent of his cologne to wrap around me. Blood rushes in my ears and I take a step back, not because I’m scared of him, but because I know myself. Sol and I being this close . . . God. If I’m a grenade, then Sol is the safety pin keeping the explosion at bay. One touch from him, and I’ll go off.
“Look. Let me just say this. You don’t have to say anything, okay? Just listen.”
His blue eyes beg me to hear him out for a sliver of time. I was hoping to deal with the Levi and Sol issue after the New Year, but I have a feeling Sol isn’t going to stay back anymore. Not until I hear what he has to say.
“Give me a minute.” I squat down and grab the bottle of rum I find, hoping it’s the one Ivan asked me to bring, then stand and wave at Sol. “Let’s talk upstairs.”
I turn and head for the stairs, feeling his warm gaze on my back the whole way into the kitchen. Ivan is nowhere in sight. He must have wandered off somewhere. I set the bottle on the counter, then turn to face Sol and gesture for him to follow me.
“Come on, it’s quieter this way.” Leading the way, I head down the hall and stop. The music is less loud in here, so I lean on the wall and drop my hands to my sides, giving him an encouraging smile. The hallway is narrow and we’re only about a foot apart as Sol stands in front of me with his back on the wall.
His gaze roams my face for several seconds, before he swallows hard. His mouth hitches up in a soft smile. “You look beautiful by the way. I always liked red on you.”
“Thank you,” I say, flashing him a smile.
There’s something different about the way Sol looks at me now. He’s no longer the boy who’s scared to make a move, to rock the boat. There’s not a single ounce of uncertainty, or trepidation in Sol’s eyes now. He’s a man on a mission. He’s serious, intense, and hypnotizing. I have to force myself to look away, afraid I’ll fall under his spell.
Feeling the heat rising in the tiny space between us, I look down at my feet while taking a deep breath.
“Look Sol, I know what you’re going to say—”
Before I can finish, Sol steps forward, closing the gap between us. He cups my face, forcing me to look up into his eyes. “Grace, just let me say this, please.” I swallow then give a slight nod. Sol lightly brushes his thumb over my cheek, his expression turning gentler. “Do you know that there hasn’t been a single day since we’ve met that I haven’t thought about you, Grace? I longed for you even before I knew what love was. I desired you, even when I knew I shouldn’t. And when I finally had you, I couldn’t let you go. Even when it was the right thing to do.”
His gaze intensifies and I know whatever he’s about to say will completely destroy me—in a good way. Sol has always had the power to break down my walls with his words. Without thinking, I press a hand on his chest to anchor myself.
He shifts closer and braces his free hand on the wall, cocooning us into this tiny space. “There hasn’t been a day since we broke up that I haven’t dissected every single word of every conversation we’ve ever shared, trying to figure out what I’d do differently. Leaving you cost me the one thing I never want to be without. I’ve made mistakes along the way and I have a lot of regrets. But you know what?”
I shake my head, curling my fists under my arms to stop myself from reaching out to him. “What?”
“I wouldn’t change a single thing. Loving you has been the worst and the best thing to ever happen to me. You are my world, Grace Miller.”
I feel tears gather in my eyes and a lump forms in my throat. “Sol—”
“You’re with Levi, and I get it.” He lifts a hand and tucks a few stray locks behind my ear, then leans down and touches his forehead to mine. “But I just want to let you know I’m going to fight for you, Gracie. I’m going to fight for you because you and I are meant to be together.” He flashes me that damn half-smile, eyes shining with determination.
“Choose me, Gracie.” My heart starts to race and I close my eyes, letting the words wash over me. “Choose me.” His fingers brush along my spine above the thin material of my dress and my knees almost buckle. “Because I’m all in. Because there’s no me without you. Because you’re my only option.” His palm presses against the small of my back, and I shiver. “I’d walk through fire for you.”
I swallow hard and I’m about to tell him, “I wish it were that simple,” but the music suddenly stops and someone announces that the countdown is about to begin.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven—”
I’m going to fight for you.
I’d walk through fire for you.
Choose me.
I’m all in.
“Five, four, three, two, one!”