Page 127 of Love Marks
“Where are we?”
His gaze meets mine and his eyes light up. “Right. That’s a good place to start.” He exhales. “This is an empty restaurant space for rent. I thought maybe, it could be your restaurant. If you like it.”
I go to protest, but he cuts me off. “Wait. Before you say no, this isn’t me trying to buy the space for you. Everyone has agreed to pitch in for the security deposit and even the first month’s rent. Nothing has been signed or settled yet because I wanted you to see it first. It’s your decision. Your choice.”
I close my mouth, stuttering. “What do you mean, everyone pitched in?”
“Your mom, my mom, Joe, Ben. Even Pete and Rita insisted on chipping in, and Hannah suggested starting a GoFundMe to raise the rest of the funds, so the rest of the world can share in your dream and help it come true.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “I don’t…I don’t understand.”
Wes takes a step closer to me and I’m overwhelmed by the closeness of him, his familiar luscious scent of pine and sandalwood surrounding me.
“If you don’t like it, we can find a different space. But I want you to have your dream, Quinn,” he says. “Even if I’m not the one by your side when you get there. Anything you want, I’ll do it. I just want you to be happy, even if…even if that means I have to let you go.”
Tears are forming in my eyes, but I can’t do anything. I can’t even blink them back. All I can do is stare at him. At this beautiful, generous man in front of me. He meets my gaze again, steady and unyielding.
“I know you said before that it was too much. Us, being together. I know probably nothing has changed for you and…if you don’t want this…don’t want me anymore, I understand.”
He breaks off and looks away from me.
“It will be hard for me, but I still want to help support you with the restaurant, and your mom, if you’ll let me. I’ll take any piece of you I can get, Quinn. Any of it is a gift.”
The tears are falling in earnest now and I can’t stop them. Wes steps forward, his expression twisting in anguish. He reaches for me, then pulls his hand back and brushes it through his hair.
“Please don’t cry.”
I finally manage to speak. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
His throat bobs and the agony in his face only grows. I don’t know if I’m reaching for him, but he doesn’t hold back anymore, wrapping his arms around me, his lips soft on the top of my head.
I fall into his arms, wrapping myself around him, clutching him to me. This is what I needed. What I’ll always need. It feels so…right to be in his arms again.
“Quinn.” He runs a soothing hand on my back. “Baby. What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry,” I repeat, a sob cracking out of me again.
He pulls back slightly, just enough to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Why?”
I take a few gasping, deep breaths, trying to stop the tears from flowing. Wes just holds me, waiting, nothing but patience in his expression.
“I don’t deserve all this, Wesley.”
His expression darkens. “What do you mean, you don’t deserve it?”
I swallow the growing lump in my throat. “I was scared, and I walked away when you needed me. When you were ready to be vulnerable with me and…I wanted that so badly. I think I was just really scared of being hurt again, and there’s part of me that just feels like, maybe I don’t deserve good things. Like the bad things in my life are my fault like maybe I just…deserve to be hurt.”
Wesley grips my arm, his eyes wide, holding my gaze with an intensity I’ve never seen from him. “Please don’t say that. I hate hearing you talk like that. It’s bullshit.”
I take a deep breath, pushing forward.
“I should have trusted you, but instead, I ran away. I think deep down I was just looking for some excuse, just waiting for me to fuck things up somehow, and for you to leave, so instead of waiting around for you to leave me, I left.”
I shake my head, feeling confused by the whirlwind of emotions rushing through me. Guilt, shame, fear, pain…but stronger than all of it, pulling me towards Wesley like a rope…
Love.
I love Wesley.