He pulls his phone from his pocket and starts swiping. 揧ou still need me to prove I抦 different? Fine. This is my family.?
I roll my eyes. If he thinks letting me into some tiny corner of his life now could possibly make up for shutting me out of it, he抯 insane. I open my mouth to tell him exactly that, and then it closes.
The photo is of him, his younger brothers卆nd Walter, my client.
I blink. 揥hy is Walter in a photo with your family??
揃ecause he抯 my stepfather.?
My jaw hangs open. 揃ullshit. Why would厀hy would棓
揑 never meant to take Brewer Campbell from you, and Walter抯 in-house had quit, so I asked him to hire you for a while until I could find another way to fix the situation. I knew if I told you the truth, you抎 refuse the job.?
He抯 right. I would have.
My back presses to the wall, trying to make sense of everything. I spent two years hating him over a stolen client, without a clue he抎 brought me a better one in its place.
揧ou should have told me,?I say quietly. I抳e been begging Walter for ages to hire someone in-house.
揧ou抎 have refused to keep working for him if you knew,?he says, 揳nd Fields was never going to make you partner without him. I thought it could wait.?
He steps toward me slowly, as if I抦 a small animal he might frighten off. I抦 scared to believe him, but if this is all true卼hen everything he did, he did for me. I think of the night we spoke about my mom梙im saying, 搚ou want to burn the world to ash just to make sure her path is clear.?
He was talking about me. And he抯 been clearing my path every day since we met.
揑抦 sorry, Gemma,?he says. He抯 close enough now that if I reached out, I could touch him. 揑f I抎 had a clue it was going to go down that way, I抎 have refused Fields?offer. You mean a thousand times more to me than any promotion, and you mean a thousand times more to me than staying at FMG. Whether I go to San Francisco or even remain at the firm is entirely your call. But please tell me you understand why I did it.?
My eyes sting. I nod, and when he finally closes the distance between us, I allow it, resting my head against his chest. His arms wrap around me and we remain that way for a long moment.
揑抦 not going back to FMG,?I tell him. 揑 will never make that firm another dime for as long as I live. But do you lose the promotion if you don抰 go to San Francisco??
揑 couldn抰 care less about that promotion,?he says. 揑f you抎 wanted to stay at FMG, I抎 have suggested we go to San Francisco together. But since you don抰匢 have a better idea. What if we both left FMG and went out on our own??
I抦 so dumbfounded I can barely find the right words. 揧ou want to leave? And start a new firm with me??
He gives a quiet laugh. 揓ust imagine how many non-paying clients you could bring in if we set up our own shop. And yes, of course I抎 leave. You only stayed because you had something to prove, and I only stayed because I was in love with this woman there who loathed me.?
揧ou love me??I ask.
His thumb swipes a tear off my cheek. 揟his can抰 be a surprise to you. I抳e been in love with you for two years straight. You were the only reason I interviewed there in the first place.?
I think of him then, watching me that first day. Saying, 揑 know who you are?with that same tender thing in his eyes I抳e seen a thousand times since. I narrated our story in the worst way possible, just like he said. But I抦 going to tell it a different way from this moment on.
揑 love you,?I whisper. 揂nd I wanted to make partner, but for the past two years, you were the reason I stayed there too.?
He laughs as he presses his lips to mine. 揑 know,?he says quietly. 揃ut I抦 glad you finally figured it out.?
On the way back to LA, I call my father and tell him I抦 not taking the job, and then I fire Sophia Waterhouse after reminding her that false abuse claims are a felony.
Ben and I spend the flight mapping out how we抎 structure our firm, and who we抣l bring with us. Terri, of course, and Ben抯 assistant. I argue that none of the associates are smart enough, especially Nicole, and Ben says I抦 being an asshole, which is entirely possible.
揝o do I finally get to meet everyone??I ask him.
He laughs. 揧es卪y mother, Tali, and Drew have been relentless about this for months. They抣l probably show up at the airport if they know we抮e coming in.?
揂nd do I get to see your place??I ask.
A flicker of uncertainty crosses his face. 揧eah,?he says. 揑 guess.?
揥hat the hell is in there that you抮e so worried about? Is it, like, a doll collection? A bunch of mannequins posed on the couch in sexy lingerie??
He laughs. 揟hat would be slightly less embarrassing than the truth. You抣l just have to see for yourself.?