“I’m sorry.” My voice was so shaky I could barely get the words out. “I’m sorry, I ran off.”

“No.” He shook his head as he picked me off the floor. “I should’ve told you about the show. I was selfish. I wanted more time with you. I should’ve just said what I wanted, what I felt, instead of letting you guess.” He said the words with his mouth pressed to my hair and I almost wept from how good it felt to have him kiss my head again. I wrapped my legs around his waist and let him take care of us, taking us wherever it was he wanted us to go. “I should’ve told you I loved you the moment I knew. If I had, I wouldn’t have put you through all this bullshit with Chase. I keep letting you down.” He sounded like the weight of the world was on his shoulders and I would have none of that.

“Put me down, Theo.” He slid me down his body like I was precious cargo, but when I looked at him I could see that these two weeks apart had taken their toll on him too. “Look at me, babe.” I reached up to cup his cheek in my palm, as my heart stammered in my chest.

“It’s not all your fault. Yes, you could’ve said it, but I don’t know if I would’ve believed you before Dallas. If you’d told me while I worked for you, I don’t know if I was ready then,” I confessed. “The truth was that I didn’t know how to let anyone in. My past relationships I’d set all these boundaries. I kept people away, but you wouldn’t let me. You stayed, gave me what I needed, even when I didn’t know I needed it. You taught me it was safe to count on someone.” My voice came out wobbly on the last part, but the look on his face was brighter, more open.

“All I want is to be the man who can be there to see you soar. You are so fucking strong, for everyone in your life. I want to be the one who is strong for you. Always. I can’t think of a better life than one in which I get to be the place where you come to rest.”

I gripped the lapels of his jacket and breathed through my mouth. “If you make me cry these eyelashes off, I will never forgive you.” He laughed, that deep, happy one I’d only ever gotten to hear in Dallas.

“Happy tears though.” He sounded so unsure.