Chapter 61: : Chapter 61

Serenity is quiet as we walk into my home together, neither of us quite sure what to say but aware that we need to talk—in private.

She turns around halfway into the living room, and I freeze in my tracks, taking a moment to just stare at her. My heart squeezes, and the butterflies in my stomach go wild. She’s so fucking breathtaking in that white summer dress, and having her here, in this space we used to share, fuck.

“Wine?” I murmur, needing something to do, something to keep my hands occupied so I don’t reach for her the way I want to.

She nods and follows me to the kitchen, the sound of her familiar footsteps bringing me a sense of comfort I never knew I needed. I missed every single thing about her. Everything.

My hands tremble slightly as I pour her a glass, acutely aware that she’s barely looked at me since Tyra left us standing in front of her mural, our hands entwined. We stood there together for a while, just looking at each other, before I managed to murmur to her that we should talk.

Serenity takes a seat by my breakfast bar and knocks back half her glass. I refill it instantly before grabbing my own, my heart uneasy. I thought she’d be happier to be here with me, but she won’t even look me in the eye.

Her body tenses almost imperceptibly when I move to stand to her side, facing her. My heart sinks when I read her body language, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s too late, if she’s already moved on. I place my glass down beside hers and lean back against my breakfast bar, her knee brushing against my thigh. It’s the closest I’ve had her in weeks, and it isn’t enough.

“I’ve missed you,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her eyes snap up, and her gaze softens, hope sparking in them. That expression of hers…it eases the worst of my fears, and I take a leap of faith.

“Not a single day went by without me thinking of you, Serenity. Every day, I wondered if we’d find our way back together and how long it’d take. It’s been 108 days since you left, and every single one of those days was torture. My mind ran wild with thoughts of where you might be and who you might be with…” I run a hand through my hair and sigh, unsure what I’m even trying to say. I’ve imagined this scenario countless times, but now that it’s happening, I’m stumbling over my words.

My breath hitches when she reaches for my hand, and I look at her, my broken heart undoubtedly written all over my face. “I still love you, Serenity Adesina. With all I am, all I’ve got. I still love you, and even if you don’t feel the same way anymore, please…please give me a—”

My eyes widen when she wraps her hand around the back of my neck and pulls me in, her lips crashing against mine as she steals away my words. I groan as I grab her waist and push her legs apart with my knee, pressing her body against mine. Fuck. I’ve missed everything about her—the way her hair smells when I’ve got her this close, her soft curves against my chest, and the way her fingertips slide up my neck and into my hair as she kisses me. I missed feeling this alive, this whole.

We’re both panting by the time my forehead drops to hers, and I cup her face, my gaze searching, drinking her in as she clutches the lapels of my suit jacket. “I missed you too,” she says, her voice breaking. “It’s been 108 days since we last saw each other, but it’s been 33 days since we last spoke. I thought that…” She takes a shaky breath. “I tried to let you go, Archer, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want you to be trapped by the guilt you undoubtedly felt every time you spoke to me, and I didn’t want to deprive you of a chance at the happiness you lost, so I stopped replying to your text messages…but I… You’re all I thought of, all the time, everywhere I went. God, you have no idea how scared I was.”

“Scared of what?” I ask, my hands roaming over her body, my need to touch her insuppressible. I missed this intimacy with her, the peace her proximity gives me.

“I thought that someday we’d come face-to-face, and you’d regret me, us. The idea of having to smile as you loved someone that wasn’t me…”

“That would never happen,” I tell her, leaning in for another kiss. This one is soft, lingering. “You’re it for me, Serenity. I tried to be the man you thought I was and supported Tyra as best as I could, but my heart only ever beat for you.”

She looks into my eyes like she doesn’t believe me, and I smile, oddly reassured by her insecurity. Knowing I’m not the only one who feels this way, who battled these thoughts…it’s such a fucking relief.

“You weren’t swayed?” she asks. “If even a small part of you still wants to be with her, I need to know. I can’t…I can’t go down this road if—”

“No,” I reply, cutting her off. “There isn’t a single doubt in my mind that you’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, Serenity.” I hesitate. “Were you? Swayed, that is. I saw the photos you posted with Theo.”

She grins, not a single hint of guilt in her eyes, and the tension drains from my body. “No, Archer,” she says. “As it turns out, you are the love of my life, and no one will ever take your place. Even when I couldn’t have you, I didn’t want anyone else, and that’ll never change.”

“The love of your life, huh?” I murmur as I lift her into my arms.

She gasps, a soft giggle escaping her lips when I carry her to my bedroom.

“I love the sound of that. Say it again.”

She smiles so beautifully as I carefully place her down on top of my bed, loving the way her hair fans around her. She has no idea how badly I’ve missed this exact image, how desperately I wanted to see it again. “I love you, Archer Harrison. You’re the love of my life, and you always will be.”

My heart soars as I lower my body on top of hers, holding myself up on my forearms to look at her. “I love you more, darling,” I murmur, kissing her forehead and then the tip of her nose, before moving to her cheek. “I will always love you, no matter what. If there’s one thing I learned while we were apart, it’s that I never knew what real happiness was before you, and I didn’t know how much I cherished it until I lost you.”

She wraps her hands into my hair, our eyes locking. “Is this really okay?” she asks, her voice trembling. “Do we truly get to be together?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, kissing the edge of her mouth. “It might not be easy, and there might be an adjustment period, but, darling, we’re going to be okay.” I push myself up a little, my gaze roaming over her face. “We did the right thing, and in turn, so did she.”