Chapter 16

Eating crow has never been my specialty. After convincing Darius to give me the chance to earn his sister-in-law's forgiveness, he informed us where to find her. As thankful as I am he refrained from decking me, I definitely deserved it.

It was harder to convince Hudson and Beck to trust me to deliver an apology worthy of Talissa. I know they're worried I'll fail to earn her forgiveness. There's so much riding on me getting this right. Good thing I excel under pressure.

I wasn't able to convince them to let me go to her house alone, though. Still, they shut up and let me make the stops I needed to make along the way. So that's something.

We pull up to her house, the home she shares with Darius and her brother, his husband, Teagan, and get out. According to Darius, Teagan worked a half day today and will have picked up their baby, the one Talissa was the surrogate for, and taken her to a toddler play date.

"You sure you got this?" Hudson asks.

Instinct has me bristling at the doubt in his voice, but I choke it back. After my boneheaded fuck up this morning, they're not wrong to be concerned. Shit, I'm concerned. If I mess this up, I'm not the only one who winds up heartbroken.

"Guess we'll find out," I answer him. Beck's hand on my shoulder gives me a steadying brace I'd never ask for but can't help being glad for.

"Just remember, if she refuses to accept your apology now, we can regroup and try again. It's not over until it's actually over. Yeah?" Beck says.

I ring the doorbell.

Before I have a chance to think through the next few moments, Talissa's swinging the door wide. The lack of surprise on her face is the first clue she knew we were coming. The way she crosses her arms protectively around her middle is evidence of how hard it was for her to open the door anyway.

"May we come in?" I ask.

"I should let you into my home when you wouldn't allow me into your precious building?" The kitten has claws.

"One of us has to be the smart one. We can agree it's not me today." My quip earns a tiny smile, and for the first time since I saw her across the lobby this morning, I have some hope.

"I owe you an apology," I say.

"You do." She waits. Last night, her submission ignited my passion. Today, her gentle confidence sets my heart ablaze. I want to know everything about this girl. Every single tiny bit of minutia. I want to know it all.

"I'm sorry. Sorry that I made assumptions about why you were at my office this morning and didn't give you the respect and courtesy of speaking to you before I asked security to make you leave. I was out of line." It's an easy apology to make because I mean every word.

"Why did you?" She asks the million dollar question. Answering her will be harder than apologizing to her. Not because I need to come up with bullshit or that I don't want to be honest. It's difficult because it makes me feel vulnerable. Raw.

"Because I was afraid."

"Afraid?" she parrots.

"Yes. We woke up this morning, and you were gone. All I could think about was how perfect last night was. How I want to explore even more with you." I pause, tempted to leave it at that but knowing the only way forward is with total honesty. I gesture to Hudson and Beck. "With them."

"You want them, too." She's not asking. She's stating a fact.

"I love them," I say, simply. "And I think I could be falling in love with them. With you. And it's the slowest instantaneous freefall imaginable."

I don't have to stand alone on the razor edge of vulnerable truth for long. Hudson wraps an arm around my waist while Beck steps close enough I feel his warmth at my back.

"There can't be love without trust, Asher." She's so strong. I'm guessing a lifetime in foster care made her tough, but her inherent sweetness is threaded through the resilience in her.

"If you give me a chance, I'll prove my trust. I'll earn your love," I vow.

"We all will," Beck adds.

"Whatever it takes," Hud promises.

Having said our piece, my apology mostly, I step back, ready to leave. I want to snatch Talissa into my arms and force her to let me love her, but I know that's not how it works. I have to give her space to decide.

On the way over here, I offered to step aside to let Beck and Hudson have her if she can't forgive me. Both of them flatly refused. I appreciate their support, but this is Talissa's decision.

"I don't think you'll have to work too hard to prove it. One thing going without teaches you is how to recognize a good thing when it comes your way. This is a good thing. I'm willing to accept your apology and give this thing a try. Just…just promise me one thing?" she asks.

"Anything." We trip over ourselves all saying the same thing.

"You'll put my name on the guest list at your office." She smiles, and I know she's toying with me.

"I can do one better." I wink at her, and she blushes prettily enough to have my heart in my throat.

"You can take these and be able to go anywhere you choose to go. Anytime. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week." I hold out the keyring with six individual rings that each have two keys on them.

"What are these?" she asks.

"They're the keys to everything. Our houses, our offices, our hearts," I explain. Two keys from each of us, the errand I made us run before coming here. A key to each of our residences and our primary offices. I want Talissa to understand she'll never again be denied access to us. Beck and Hudson agreed.

Talissa launches herself into my arms. Hudson and Beck's wrap around us both. It's hard to believe this rollercoaster has brought us full circle in the span of a single day. From love at first sight to heartbreak to happily ever after.

I chuckle to myself at the fanciful thought. Maybe, I'm in the wrong industry. Instead of law, I should be writing fairytales.

Eh, fuck it. Who cares about writing them when we're going to be busy living ours?