Admitting the truth to himself was the worst part of the healing process. William hardly recalled how many times he wanted to throw up as he sat in his counselor’s chair, going through every vicious detail of what had transpired between him and Trisha.

So many years. So much shit. And shame.

A part of him still felt guilty. His career had taken off to a new level, and it was then that Trish’s went to hell. But the spectacled woman who met with him two times every week kept reassuring him he carried no blame. He wasn’t responsible for the choices Patricia had made in her life, and if his ex had wanted to leave, she could have done so a long time ago.

Gaslighting. Emotional blackmail. Abuse.

It was hard to come to terms with those words without feeling like he’d been regurgitated by a cat. And it was even harder not to feel disgusted by himself for letting things go as far as they had, regardless of what his therapist said. But every time he returned home, every time he fell into Lily’s embrace, he knew this was something he could get through.

For him. For her.

For the future they both deserved and fought for.

The rattle of keys kicked him out of his thoughts. His gaze focused on the computer screen—on the background actually, where Lily’s bright smile greeted him whenever he sat down and got to work. He traced a finger along the glass, then walked out into the living room and helped Lily disentangle herself from the overload of bags she’d managed to squeeze through the doorframe.

“Christ, pet, why didn’t you call me?” He took the heaviest two, both filled to the brim with groceries, and deposited them on the couch. “I could have helped you.”

Lily snorted and rolled her eyes. “Kind of hard to rummage though a handbag with your hands full, mister. You should be grateful I managed to pull out my keys. Otherwise, we’d have a nice little indentation in the shape of my forehead right in the middle of our door.”

Our door.

Sometimes, he still couldn’t believe Lily had said yes when he’d asked her to move in with him. She had been hesitant at first, but once he assured her this was what he wanted, the grin on her face was the most brilliant thing he’d ever seen.

It hadn’t been just her support he craved for. But her. Waking up next to the woman he loved. Falling asleep with her in his arms. And all those little moments they shared in between.

Lily placed the last of the bags down—these practically overflowing with thrift-shop books—nibbling on her lower lip. William’s eyes narrowed. She was stocking up like she didn’t plan for either of them to leave the flat for an entire month.

He looked from the bag to her, noting the flushed cheeks he suspected were only partially that gorgeous color because of the brutal winds raging outside.

“What have you been up to, Lily?”

She held his gaze for a long moment, then picked a tiny bag from one of the larger ones. Her blush deepened severely by the time she faced him, but there was a wicked gleam in her eyes that revealed whatever she had in mind, it would be bloody good.

A corner of her mouth curled up. “You know how you told me you wanted to propose the instant you saw me reading The Left Hand of Darkness?”

He nodded. How could he forget? It was one of the clearest, most powerful thoughts that had ever crossed his mind, and sharing it with her had been the first step he took towards letting down his defenses.

“Weeeeellll…” She offered him the tiny bag. “I would have said yes if you had. So I thought—if you want to…”

Heart thrumming, William ripped open the package, then the velvet pouch. A simple, silver band fell onto his palm. He lifted it under the light, noting there was an inscription on the inner rim.

So which new wave was it?

The words that had made her fall in love with him all those months ago.

He laughed, not caring about how his eyes watered. Or how a tear actually broke away and slid down his cheek.

“Lily Summers, are you proposing to me?”

“I am.” She grinned, then shot him a coy look. “I would have gone down on my knees, but… I’d rather do that a bit later on, if it’s all right with you.”

It was more than all right.

It was a bloody massive “Yes.”