The trip to Dahliaโs is a quiet one. She spends most of it staring out the window, while I stay focused on the road. Despite the urge to check in with her, I hold back and stay silent, not wanting to add
to her distress.
Itโs not until I pull up to her house that she finally speaks up, surprising
me.
โIโm sorry.โ
I blink rapidly. โWhat are youโโ
โI know youโre a good guyโpossibly the best guy Iโve ever metโeven
if you drive me crazy.โ She twists one of her rings. โYour list. God. I canโt believe you spent over a decade working on that.โ
โTwelve years, but whoโs counting?โ
Her chin quivers. โMaybe if things were different for me, we couldโโ โStop.โ
โButโโ
โNo. I donโt want to hear whatever excuse you spent the whole drive coming up with.โ
Her muscles tighten. โYou canโt ignore the obvious.โ โGlad weโre finally on the same page.โ
She glances away.
โWhat do you need?โ I ask.
โTime? Some food and a good nightโs rest? Honestly, I can barely think straight, let alone talk when Iโm this exhausted.โ
โOkay.โ I can give her thatโฆfor a day at least.
Her shoulders fall from her heavy sigh.
I grab her hand and kiss the back of it. โEverything will be okay.โ โSo you say.โ
โOnly because I wonโt stop until it is.โ
She spares me one last glance before hopping out of my truck and taking off for her front door.
I donโt remember the drive to my house because I spent the entirety of it lost in my own thoughts, sorting through all the things I need to figure out.
Silence greets me like a funeral march as I enter my house and head toward my kitchen to heat up some food. I make it through a few bites before my phone buzzes against the marble counter with a new message from Lily in the Muรฑoz-Lopez group chat.
LILY
From lovebirds to jailbirds in a single week.
She attaches a photo of Dahlia and me in the holding cell. Rosa sends a link to schedule a confession session with Father Anthony, while my mother follows up with a heart-eyed GIF and a text.
MA
Like Bonnie and Clyde.
RAFA
They both died in a shootout.
MA
Together.
RAFA
Remind me to never fall in love.
I reply, telling everyone to delete the photo from their phones and in the chat before taking off toward the station to pay Roberts a second visit tonight.
โBack so soon?โ Roberts leans against the counter. โHow many people did you send the photo to?โ โJust Lily.โ
โDelete it from your phone.โ
โI plan on it once the reporter gets back to me with a price for the photo.โ
โHow much are you asking for it?โ I snap. โTen grand.โ
I rip a sticky note off the top of the pack and pass it to him. โGive me your number, and Iโll have the money transferred in an hour.โ
His brows jump. โYouโre not going to bother negotiating?โ I tap on the sticky note. โYour number.โ
โMake it twelve thousand.โ
โIโll drop my offer to seven if you donโt stop talking.โ
His smile falls as he scribbles across the paper before passing it to me. I tuck his number into the inner pocket of my coat. โDelete it.โ
โNow?โ
I tap my shoe against the floor. He sighs as he pulls out his phone and walks me through the process of deleting the evidence.
As soon as he is finished, I walk out of the station, text Dahlia about how I took care of the photo, and head back to my house. By the time I make it inside, Dahlia still hasnโt answered the group chat or my single text, which is unlike her.
My dinner sits in my stomach like a boulder as I take a shower and climb into bed.
Youโre going to find a way to make everything work out, I chant to myself in the dark.
I just need to figure out how.
Dahlia spends most of the next morning hiding in her office, so I donโt get a chance to see her until she shows up for the team meeting scheduled over a week ago.
Originally, I considered handling my affairs with my team in private, but Dahliaโs lack of trust and attempts at avoiding me pose a unique challenge I need to overcome.
Showing Dahlia that I plan on sticking around will require a lot more than promising her Iโll move to San Francisco. I need to make some necessary changes to my life, starting with the one thing Iโve been putting off for years.
Dahlia mentally checked out of the discussion twenty minutes ago, once Ryder, Mario, and I began reviewing logistical issues about the Lake Aurora remodel. She spends the time sketching designs for her dรฉcor line, and I find myself getting distracted a few times by her skills.
โAre we all good here?โ Mario asks.
โYeah.โ I glance at Ryder. โCan you stick around once Mario leaves?โ He nods.
Dahlia makes one last change to her design before she tucks her tablet beneath her arm and rises from her chair.
โI need you to stay,โ I tell her.
Her face pinches with confusion as she retakes her seat.
โSee you all next week.โ Mario tips his chin before walking out of the conference room.
โWhatโs up?โ Ryder asks.
I sit back down. โIโve been thinkingโฆโ
Dahliaโs chair creaks as she places her elbows on the table and leans forward.
My project manager tucks a pencil behind his ear. โAbout?โ I clear my throat. โI need some help.โ
Her eyes widen.
โWhatever you need, Iโm your man.โ He doesnโt hesitate, which catches me by surprise.
โYou donโt know what Iโm about to ask of you.โ
โDoesnโt matter. Youโve done a lot for me, so Iโm up for whatever.โ
I blink. Dahlia seems equally shocked as her gaze bounces between the two of us.
Ryder continues, โBefore you hired me, I was struggling with returning to civilian life after my last tour. When I interviewed for the job, I was living out of my car and struggling with PTSD.โ
I hide my flinch. โI didnโt realize it was that bad.โ
Dahlia reaches out to give his hand a squeeze before she sinks back into her chair.
โYouโre not the only proud man in town, boss,โ he says with a small smile.
โNo, but he is theย proudest,โ Dahlia says. I shoot her a stern look.
Ryderโs soft laugh doesnโt match his harsh features. โI owe you a lot, so if you want my help, Iโm more than happy to offer it.โ
Dahliaโs bottom lip trembles.
Shit.
I battle between shyness and gratitude before landing somewhere in the middle. โYou donโt owe me anything.โ
โDo you want my help or not?โ he asks.
โHis asking is evidence enough.โ The expression on Dahliaโs face is worth every ounce of pride I forfeit as I do the one thing I trained myself to avoid.
โYeah, I want your help.โ My shoulders loosen as the tension drains from my body.
โTell me what you need.โ
โBetween us, something came up that requires me to move next month, so I need to restructure the company in a way that allows it to operate without me being present.โ
His brows rise while Dahliaโs scrunch.
โYouโre moving?โ Ryder asks.
โYes. Even though Iโll attend meetings virtually and fly back every two weeks to physically check on everything, I need your help with the day-to- day operations and keeping an eye on things.โ
Dahliaโs lips part.
Ryder nods. โOf course.โ
โGreat. Hereโs what I was thinkingโฆโ I review my idea with Ryder while Dahlia watches. He gives his input and offers plenty of useful advice, and I adjust my plan based on his expertise. Dahlia gives a few pointers I take into consideration.
After an hour of restructuring Lopez Luxuryโs operations, Ryder stands and claps me on the back. โI never thought Iโd see the day you finally decided to do what was best for you rather than the company.โ He glances over at Dahlia. โAnd I probably have you to thank for the promotion and raise.โ
Her cheeks are tinged a soft shade of pink. โI didnโt have anything to do with this.โ
โRight.โ Ryder nods.
Stubborn, I mouth.
Ryder gives me a thumbs-up.
We both know Dahlia is the only person who could convince me to change the entire structure of my company, yet she wonโt accept the possibility because it would only threaten her weak argument.
Ryder steps out of the conference room, and as Dahlia rises to follow him, I block her path against the door.
โIโm not done with you.โ
She dramatically rolls her eyes up to meet mine. โWhat do you want?โ
โYour opinion would be a good start.โ
She fiddles with one of her rings. โSo youโre really considering moving to San Francisco?โ
โDid the last hour not give it away?โ I reply, meeting her glare.
I let out a sigh. โHow long are you going to keep fighting me on this?โ
โFor as long as it takes to convince you this is a huge mistake.โ Her glassy eyes reveal her uncertainty, and it hurts to see how much she silently battles with her anxiety.
โWant to talk about mistakes? Letโs do it.โ Surprise flickers across her face.
โThere were several reasons I pushed you away all those years agoโgrief, the stress of a struggling business, my fear that long-distance would tear us apart, and all the other obstacles we faced. But the biggest mistake I made was thinking youโd be better off without me because I wasnโt good enough. I let my insecurities stand in the way of what I truly wanted with you, and I wonโt let you make that same mistake. In fact, I forbid it. I refuse to spend another ten years waiting for you to realize what we could have.โ
She blinks a few times, processing my words.
โI will always fight for whatโs best for us, even if it means fighting you along the way.โ I lean down to kiss the top of her head, then turn to leave the room, giving her space to come to terms with what Iโve said.