I don’t know what I’m expecting when the elevator doors glide open, but what I see is...

Nothing.

I laugh out loud, and it makes Levi laugh, too. “There’s nothing here.”

“In the foyer? Why would I have put something in the foyer?”

“So that you could surprise me when the doors opened?”

He shrugs, nodding a little. “That would have been a surprise. But no. It wouldn’t have fit in the foyer.”

I’m still reeling from the shock of seeing all those pieces from my parents’ estate in that museum. I can’t believe that in two weeks, people are going to be able to walk past all of those things, learning from them, enjoying them. I can’t believe that Levi saw straight through me, straight through to the solution to everyone’s problems, and put it into motion despite the fact that we weren’t even together.

My heart beats furiously against my rib cage. Levi leads the way, stepping inside, and tugs at my hand. “One more surprise, and then we can...” His voice trails off. “Well, we can talk.”

“Good plan.”

I follow him down the hall, in the opposite direction of the master bedroom. So it’s not some kind of sex game, or some strange artifact that he’s keeping next to the bed. I don’t know, in this strange and exhilarating moment, whether I should be disappointed or relieved. 

We move past a guest suite, and Levi stops at the next door. It’s closed. He stops just outside of it and turns to face me.

“Ruby...” His voice sounds oddly formal. “I want you to know how completely sorry I am for acting like such an arrogant asshole the first time we met.” He swallows. “From the first moment I saw you, I knew there was something about you that—that I’d never find anywhere else. And from the bottom of my heart, I hope you know—”

My throat has gone tight with tears, and my heart is aching, but it’s from a strange, wild happiness. I reach out and take Levi’s other hand. It’s the least I can do in this moment. It’s the least I want to do. My body is screaming for me to run back to the master bedroom, Levi by my side, and stay in there until the end of eternity.

“I hope you know—” His gaze is steady on mine, but I can see the tiniest flicker of uncertainty, like he might be making a mistake. I squeeze his hands. “I hope you know that if I could take that moment back, if I could start over and treat you like a damn princess from that moment on, I would.”

“I know.” My voice is strong and confident, which surprises even me. “I know.” I rise up on my tiptoes and press my lips against his. “Is it my turn?”

“Your turn?”

“My turn to apologize.”

He laughs, the relief shining through in his voice. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

“I didn’t realize until far too late in all of this that all the things in the world couldn’t fill the space you left when I walked away from you.”

Levi’s expression goes serious, but his eyes are soft, glowing.

“I should have known that all the time I wasted worrying about things could have been spent on—” This is the part that makes me choke up. “I wasted a lot of time being suspicious of you, because I thought I would get something out of clinging to what used to be.”

He pulls me close, holding me tightly in his arms. “I don’t blame you.”

“You should, though. I acted like an idiot. I could have lost you. I could have lost what we had, and where the hell would I be now?”

“You’d be fine. You’re no pushover, Ruby.”

“That’s the thing.” I step back so I can look into his eyes, because this is important—this is everything. “I wouldn’t be fine. I didn’t know it until you were gone, but I wouldn’t be fine without you. And I hope you can forgive me for how I acted. I hope you can forgive me, Levi, because I never want to spend another night without you again.”

The smile that illuminates his face is brighter than any sunrise I’ve ever seen. “I forgive you.” He straightens up. “Now...if everyone’s forgiven, can I show you this one last thing?”

“Yes. Please.”

He turns around and opens the door, and that’s when the floodgates open.

I see it over his shoulder. It’s the wardrobe Henry and I spent hours playing in front of. And more than that—on the walls, displayed in all its glory, is the china I loved so much, the tiny purple flowers just as perfect as ever. Everything I said I loved as we looked through those pictures, as we walked through the house, is all here, in this room.

“Being with you, Ruby, taught me that there can be a balance,” Levi says softly, ushering me into the room ahead of him. “You can be attached to some things without letting it overwhelm you. Not everything has to be a ruthless negotiation.”

Tears spill down my cheeks. “You are an incredible man.”

“Only because I met you.”

I throw my arms around Levi’s neck, hugging him so tightly that after a few moments he pretends to gasp for air. I let him go, whirling around again. This is enough. This is all I ever wanted. This, right here, with Levi in the room—this is everything.

“What am I going to do?” I laugh through my tears. “I can’t fit these things in my apartment.”

“I guess there is one more thing.”

I look into his eyes, speechless, and another core-melting grin knocks me off balance.

“This could be your penthouse, too.” Levi scoops me up in his arms and kisses me, hard. “No strings attached.”

“No strings?”

“Just one. I love you, Ruby Ashworth.”

“You’re a hard sell.” I press my lips against his. He tastes like home. “I love you, too.”