“I’m sorry,” he blurted out in a total panic.

She simply smiled in return and whispered, “I love you.” There was such tenderness as she said the words, and everything stopped in that moment for Vincent. No more waves crashed against the sandy beach, no wind blew, no birds squawked, and no cars whizzed down the highway behind them. There was only Lexi. She loved him.

“You do?” He didn’t even try to hide how dumbfounded he felt or how amazed he was that someone as wonderful as Lexi would love someone as flawed as he was. She deserved the world, and he wanted the opportunity to give that to her.

“Of course I do. That crush in high school wasn’t so small. It was actually pretty big, hence my ability to recall every single detail about you, your life, and food preferences. Truthfully, I’ve thought about you almost every day for ten years. I couldn’t drive by Riverdale High without looking at the space where you used to park that ugly car you had.”

He clutched his chest in horror. “You did not just mock my car seconds after telling me you loved me. That was a cool car.”

“Only because you drove it.” Lexi laughed, then became serious again. “I think I’ve always known it was you.”

“I wish I could remember you from back then, but every time I try, I draw a blank.”

Lexi chuckled. “I’m glad you don’t remember me. I wasn’t ready for you then. I had so much to learn about life, about myself, about the world around me before we were meant to cross paths. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

There was such love in her eyes as she poured her heart out. He had to touch her. His fingers locked with hers as she spoke, and his lips brushed against her forehead. He was desperate to feel close to her.

“I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted back then.” She squeezed his hand and smiled. “But I’ve grown up a lot, and I know what I want now.” She was self-assured and calm as she spoke. There was no uncertainty or doubt in her decision, just determination. “I want you, Vincent. I want to try with you. I’ve thought a lot about this.”

“Are you sure?”

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“I’ve never been more sure of anything. But there are some things we need to talk about, and I want to be totally honest with you.”

“You can tell me anything.”

He felt her hands tremble as she took a steadying breath and allowed the words to come. “When you didn’t believe me that night at the fashion show, it broke my heart. I’ve stood by you since day one and have never given you a reason to question me or my loyalty. But, out of nowhere, Jade plants her little poisonous seeds in your head, and the first time my commitment to you or Hunter is called into question, you believed the she-wolf in trashy clothing rather than me, Lexi, the one who was always at your side, looking out for you, helping you.”

Lexi’s foot began tapping nervously as her emotions continued to flare. “I can’t even think about her, even now, or I see your face and remember the angry way you spoke to me that night, the things you said …” Vincent reached out and squeezed her hand, not saying a word, just offering her some reassurance and a silent apology. “It’s going to take some time for me to get over that. I’m not trying to punish you for it. I even understand why you reacted that way. I know you better than you know yourself. You’re a complex man, one with a gentle heart that you hide behind that pit bull exterior of yours. I love that part of you, the real Vincent. And I love the broken side of you, the man who has been so terribly damaged in the past that at times he can’t function. I want to hold him in my arms and cry with him. But I think you need to do some work to fix that part of you so that old misery doesn’t create new.”

“I don’t deserve you,” Vincent whispered, his lips pressing against the top of her head as he peered out over the water, unable to look her in the eye.

She placed her tiny hands on his cheeks and pulled his face to hers, needing him to see her. “I won’t lie to you. We aren’t going to ride off into the sunset together and have everything fixed overnight. I know that, and I think you do too. But I’m willing to work at it, if you are. I do love you. I mean that with every cell in my body, every breath that I take. I think you’re worth it; I think we’re worth it. I think you could be the great love of my life, Vincent Drake.”

It had been torturous to hear what his actions had done to her. He wished he could go back in time and relive that moment and change the past for the better. But mistakes were a part of life, especially for Vincent. He needed to learn his lesson and then move on so that Lexi’s pain would not be in vain. She was right. He did let an old hurt ruin what they had, and if he didn’t do something about it, there was a chance it could happen again. He needed to let go of the past and focus on his future … with Lexi.

“I love you, Alexandra White. You are the miracle that walked into my life not once but twice, and I’m not going to let you go. I can’t. You’re a part of me now.” His thumb wiped the tears that began to fall from her eyes. “I will never forgive myself for hurting you, but I promise that I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. We can take it slow. I can give you space and time as long as I know you love me. Wherever you are is home to me.” Vincent shifted and knelt beside Lexi and pressed his lips gently to hers, tasting the salt of her tears. “We have been given this once in a lifetime opportunity, and if you let me, I will love you until my dying breath.”

Lexi threw her arms around his neck and nuzzled her face against his shoulder and cried. Tears of joy mixed with tears of sorrow as every emotion she had kept bottled up her entire life came spilling out in a tidal wave. She cried for her mother, for Harry, she cried for the childhood she lost and the love she had gained with Vincent. Angry tears fell over Vincent’s betrayal, and hopeful tears were shed to celebrate their new beginning.

When the tears stopped, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The burden of her sadness replaced with the lightness of hope.

Her anger was released, and love filled her body as she watched the man beside her, the one who cradled her in his arms and whispered words of love and devotion to her through it all. The man who promised to love her, always.

They stayed on the blanket and watched the colors of the sunset shimmer on the ocean, the reds and oranges painting the sky above them. When the last ray of light was extinguished and the moon began to glow in the newly born night sky, they packed up their things and started their journey back home.




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