34. Surrendering

Jane

Colton's eyes widen when he swings his front door open. He's dressed in his pajamas, and he looks delicious. I keep my focus on his face so I don't forget the whole speech I prepared and jump straight into his arms.

"Jane—" he starts, but I cut in. I need to say my piece.

"I have the power," I declare, looking him in the eye. "I decide how this ending's going to go."

He frowns but stays silent.

"Either I forgive you and we move on, or I hand you back these papers," I say, holding out the kraft envelope.

"Jane, I'm so sorry. I love you. I'll do any—"

"I thought I had this big choice. This impossible decision to make. But really, it's not that hard. What you did really hurt me. It dredged up my past, stirred all of my demons."

His face falls, and a single tear escapes his eye as he looks down. I feel like a monster for doing this to him, but I have to finish. "That's also why I was too blinded to see the rest," I say with a sigh. "To feel what I was feeling, all alone, and to realize what I was gaining. Just like you were when you had that lapse of judgment. I couldn't see the difference between his actions and yours, but I do now." I inhale deeply. "I don't want my past to dictate my life. I deserve a shot at happiness, and that's what I'm choosing."

As he raises his head, a frown still clouds his face, but there's a spark of hope in his bloodshot eyes. "Wait, does that mean . . .?"

My heart is pounding so hard, it threatens to fall out of my chest. "I love you too, Colton. I'm choosing you."

His face breaks into a smile, and it's enough to melt me to the ground. He takes a step forward and caresses my cheek with a shaky hand. His chest rises and falls at light speed, but probably not as fast as mine. "Are you sure?" he asks, his forehead falling on mine.

"I'm sure," I whisper. It's time I let go. This is the start of my happily ever after.

"Thank you for giving me a second chance," he says, his hand cradling my neck. "You're everything to me, Jane." Not another moment passes before his lips press to mine, and it's the best feeling in the world. Like coming home after a long trip. It's warm, reassuring, comforting, and it feels right. Colton is my home. I wrap my arms around his neck, and he lifts me off the ground. Our tongues start dancing, and fireworks seem to crackle around us. Looks like I made the right choice.

Colton

I never knew it was possible to be this happy. I thought what I had before was happiness, but really, I was just content. True happiness isn't something that comes every day, but I'm now lucky enough to know the feeling.

Jane has moved back into the house with Truffles, whose perimeter was extended to the entire property. I'll deal with my allergies. Apparently, you can even get treated for that kind of thing. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, the house is a lot bigger than Truffles, so I'm not really feeling it.

We just finished moving Jane's clothes into my closet, and I catch her by the waist before she leaves the room.

"Colton," she says between giggles. "One more box, and we're done."

"I just need some fuel before our last trip to your old room," I joke, kissing her neck. "This house is way too big."

"Maybe you should exercise more often," she teases, turning around.

"Exactly my point." I smirk.

Instead of replying, she places a soft kiss on my lips—my favorite kind of answer.

"So," I say, taking a small intake of breath. There's something I've been wanting to ask her, but I haven't found the right time yet. Not that this is the perfect time, but it's burning my lips, and I have to ask. "Do you want a divorce?"

She does a double take, then frowns. "What? Why did this conversation take a one-eighty from lovey dovey to us splitting up?"

I shake my head. "No, I don't mean separating. Just divorcing. We can't annul the marriage, since there's no box to tick that says ‘we love each other but got married a bit too soon,' but an amicable divorce is an option." I sit down on the bed, and she sits next to me. "Jane, I know your struggles won't disappear overnight, and I don't want you to feel trapped in anything. I want you to feel safe."

She presses her lips together, closing her eyes, and my pulse quickens.

"I feel safe with you, Colton. I love you, and I'm in this for the long haul. I'm all in."

My heart leaps as her words warm my chest. I caress her cheek. "Me too. You're my forever, Jane."

Jane

We just finished dinner, and we're now hanging out in the game room. We played twice this week, and even though Colton said, "Just because we're married now and I love you, don't expect me to let you win," I can't help but think that's exactly what he did. I never win against this man, yet I won last time. Very suspicious.

Colton broke out the USA Greatest Cities Monopoly, and we've been playing for a solid hour now. It's his turn, so he rolls. He lands on New York, the most expensive space on the board.

"I'm not buying it. I already own it."

I pout, crossing my arms over my chest. "No, you don't." Is my husband a cheater now?

"Yes, I do," he says, grabbing a folded piece of paper from the pocket of his pants and handing it to me.

It's a listing for an apartment—a penthouse, actually—overlooking Central Park in New York. "What's this?" I ask, my heart thrumming in my chest.

"Our apartment in New York. Well, that is, if you're still interested in playing that part Amelia Brown was offering?"

I blink rapidly. "What? How do you know about that?"

"Amelia called me. She said you turned down a Broadway part. She's been searching, but she's not finding anyone else she likes for the role. I thought I might be able to convince you to take it."

My eyebrows shoot for the roof. "You want me to move to New York?"

"I want us to move to New York—temporarily. At least until you give this Broadway thing a try. You've wanted this for so long. I don't want you to miss out."

"But your company headquarters is here," I say, shaking my head. "I don't want you to derail your life for me. There will be other parts."

His silver eyes pin me in place. "Do you want this? Is this a part you'd like to play? Answer truthfully."

I bite my lip, trying to conceal my smile.

"It's settled, then," he says, clasping his hands. "We're moving to New York."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive, Jane," he says, taking my hands into his. "I'll find a way to manage my team from there. It's only a three-hour time difference. And anyway, I'll be concentrating all my time on the new project. I can hire people in New York to help me develop it from there. Plus, you know how much I love investing in real estate," he says with a cocky smirk.

My body has gone limp. "What about Truffles?"

"She'll come with us, of course. I would never leave her behind. She's family."

Butterflies take flight in my belly. "You're saying I'm going to be on Broadway?" I squeak, my pitch rising.

"I guess you are," he laughs with that full-on dimpled smile I love so much. Beds of flowers sprout around the room, and when he leans in for a kiss, it's like we're levitating above them. Who knew surrendering could be so liberating?

I, Jane Green, am moving to New York with my husband and my cat to play a part in a Broadway show. Does life get better than this? I don't think so.

I guess I was wrong back then. Dreams do come true in LA. Even the ones you didn't know you had.