He shook his head. “I’m not.”

“And isn’t that the worst part?”

I walked away without waiting for an answer, and this time, he didn’t stop me. As I walked outside, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and it felt amazing. But…it wasn’t all sunshine and happiness. I’d lost my father. It was painful.

There was no denying that.

Yet at the same time, it felt so good. It was as though he took out a key, undid my iron chain shackles, and finally set me free from my past. Now it was time to chase my future. To hug Jackson and never let him go. Of course, I wasn’t even sure if I still had Jackson.

If I didn’t, I’d fight like hell to get him back.

Walking up to his truck, I took a deep breath and opened the passenger door. He sat behind the wheel, gripping it tightly, staring straight ahead. “What did he say after I left?”

“Pretty much exactly what you’d expect him to say.”

He shook his head. “What did you say?”

“The opposite of what you’d expect me to say.”

He laughed. “So you told him to go fuck himself in the ass?”

“Well, not in those exact words….”

He opened his door, hopped down, and came around to the passenger side of the truck. Slowly, he turned to me. The hesitance and self-doubt I saw in his eyes made my heart wrench in response. I loved this man, and he didn’t even know it. “You should go back in there. I’m not worth losing your family over. Make up with him. He’s your dad. Nothing will change that.”

“You’re wrong. You’ve always been worth it.” I shook my head. “So…no. No.”

Something in his expression sparked to life. “I love it when you say no. I really do.” He held his hand out for me, the weight of the world in that one small gesture. “But I’d rather you not say it again for this next thing I’m gonna say. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Here. Hawaii. France. England. Shit, I don’t give a damn, as long as I have you. But no matter what you say, I’m leaving this damn house, and this damn family, behind me. The question is”—he locked gazes with me, his deep chocolate brown eyes pulling me in—“are you coming with me, or not?”

Yes. I would.

But so much happened in the last twenty-four hours, and on top of that, I hadn’t slept at all, and I needed a second to appreciate that after everything we’d been through, and all I’d done, Jackson was still here. Waiting for me. Loving me. Wanting me.

So I took a second to let that soak in. Just a moment.

But it was a moment too long.

He took his hand back, ran it through his hair, and stared at me as if…as if…I broke his heart. “All right. I got the job in Hawaii, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to take it or not, but I am. I can’t stick around here anymore. I don’t belong in this town.”

“You’re accepting the job?”

He nodded once. “Yeah. I was hoping…It doesn’t matter what I was hoping. Get in the truck. I’ll give you a ride home, and then I’ll go.”

“No.” I lifted my chin. “You’ve made up your mind, and so have I.”

Jackson studied me with a wrinkled brow. “Made up your mind about what? About not wanting me to drive you home?”

“No. About you.” I took a step toward him, my hands clasped in front of me. It was time for me to tell him how I felt. How I’d always felt. Nothing stood in our way. Not anymore. And that knowledge felt so good. “You leave, I leave. You go to Hawaii, I go, too. Because I love you. I do. So much. I’m sorry I didn’t say it yesterday, but I didn’t get a chance once all hell broke loose. But I always knew what I really wanted, deep down, and I only just accepted it in that closet. I want you. Only you. Anywhere. Anytime. Any way. Always.”

He made a small sound. I couldn’t tell if it was filled with pain, relief, or both. “Lilly…”

“Ask me again.” One more step. “Please.”

Jackson ground his teeth together, and for the life of me I couldn’t read him. Couldn’t figure out if he was going to ask me again, or not. If he had given up on me, or if he was still in my corner. If he still loved me…

Or if I had truly broken his heart beyond repair.

His fingers twitched, and I held my breath. My heart echoed, and my breathing was fast and erratic, because I knew he might walk away. And I knew if he did, then I had to tell him the little secret I had only just discovered myself. It would devastate me, but I wouldn’t go back to my father. I wouldn’t go back to being who I had once been. That girl was dead. Gone.

All that was left was me.

But was that enough for Jackson?

Chapter 24

Jackson

In the past five minutes alone, I’d experienced the full gamut of emotions, finishing with a hard punch of joy. So much fucking joy, it filled my heart until I was certain it would burst straight out of my chest. Lilly had done it. She chose me. But even though this was everything I ever wanted, I didn’t move. I didn’t ask the one question that would guarantee she’d leave with me.

I couldn’t. Not yet.

I had to be sure this was what she truly wanted, and there was only one way to find out. “Lilly, I have to ask again. Are you sure about this? I’m never going to be able to give you this kind of lifestyle. An army recruiter doesn’t make the same kind of money as a CEO. We’ll have to move. A lot. Live in base housing, and crappy apartments, and—”

“What did I say?” Lilly said, her voice starting out quiet but gaining strength as she spoke. “If you go, I go, too.”

I started to inch a little closer, and she watched me move, a smile spreading across her face. “What about your dad? His company?”

“It’s his. Not mine. If he swallows his pride, he’ll be able to save it all on his own—just the way he built it.”

My Lilly. She was back. I stopped, just out of touching reach, and she made a sound of frustration, but still smiled. “Maybe we shouldn’t do anything drastic like move halfway across the world. Maybe we should wait. I could—”

“Jackson, I waited seven years for you to come home. Wasn’t that enough waiting?”

I reached out a hand to her, saying, “It’s like you always say. Your life, your choice.”

She launched into action, grabbing my hand and throwing herself into my arms. I hugged her close, a stupid smile lighting up my damn face, and breathed in the scent that made her uniquely Lilly. I found my happy ending.

It had been in her safekeeping all these years.

Waiting for me to be ready.

Lilly laughed—a bubbly, happy laugh—and pulled back. “I can practically feel my father’s glare from the kitchen. Let’s get out of here.”

I caught her hand and smiled at her. “Gladly.”

Even though she’d walked away from everything—the money, the company, and her family—she had me. And I would spend the rest of my life making sure it was enough. That I was enough.

I opened my truck door for her, and she climbed up. We drove away immediately, and neither of us looked back. When we got home, I shot her a quick grin and hopped out of the truck. Coming around to her side, I opened her door. Before she could climb down, though, I rested a hand on her thigh and smiled at her. She still wore her red satin gown, her makeup was smudged and smeared down her cheeks, and she looked as if she’d been through a hurricane and lived to tell, but she immediately smiled back.

“Are you sure?” I asked, my breath held. “You’re giving up a lot to be with me.”