Chapter 29

This is a mistake.

Kiera stood at the edge of her living room, her hand against the cool glass window that ran floor to ceiling along one entire side of her new apartment. Seattle stretched out beneath her and all around her, sparkling lights reaching up toward the dark blue sky. There were barely any stars visible, just long, thin clouds—wispy and expansive. She’d only just arrived, but it was as beautiful as she remembered from all the years she’d lived here during college.

But it felt different now.

It felt muted—a thick blanket of barrenness covering the vibrant city. The excitement she once felt here was gone, and her heart felt heavy. A lone tear slid down her cheek, falling to the wood floor beneath her. It wasn’t a secret why she suddenly hated this city, or why all she could think about was booking a flight back to New York and knocking on Quinn’s door until she’d convinced him that they were meant to be.

He doesn’t want me, she reminded herself. I promised to protect his heart, and then I broke it. Again.

The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that she’d deluded herself into thinking they were more than they actually were. If he truly loved her as much as he’d claimed to, if he’d truly been in love with her his whole life, then he wouldn’t have let her go. Or he’d have come with her. Or they’d have made it work long distance.

She didn’t have the answers, but she knew breaking up wasn’t on the list. Fingering the necklace she still wore—his heart—she wondered if she should take it off. Throw it away. Move on with her life and find someone who wanted her in that forever kind of way she’d thought they had.

Sighing, she let it go and it fell back against her chest. Not yet.

Turning away from the glass, she surveyed her new home. Rich wooden floors, deep navy walls accented with white trim, with fixtures and appliances that screamed money. Aside from her few suitcases still in the front hallway, the place was empty. No furniture, no bed, no dishes—hell, she didn’t even have lightbulbs.

She didn’t understand what had happened because this was not the apartment she’d signed for.

The realtor she’d worked with had sent her pictures of a cheap, ground-floor apartment in her price range. It had looked sketchy as hell, but hey, she could afford it on a resident’s salary. It was also supposed to be fully furnished, since she didn’t have the budget for that, either.

Yet when she’d shown up at the realtor’s office, he’d given her this address and these keys. It was beautiful, and she’d make it work on some blankets by the window tonight, but first thing tomorrow morning she’d have to march back down to his office and fix their mistake.

Things could be worse than spending one night in a luxury apartment overlooking the city, she thought. She pulled her suitcases into the living room and unpacked her pillow and some blankets—never one to travel without such necessities. She put together a makeshift bed and, to be honest, it was uncomfortable as hell. The floor was hard, the apartment was dark, and the window was chilly.

She found an extra sweater and socks in her smaller suitcase and piled on the extra layers, unable to find the thermostat yet. Sitting cross-legged in front of the window, she watched the city move beneath her. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and when she extracted it, she saw it was a text from her mother inquiring on how she was settling in. She sent her back a quick message, assuring her everything was fine, then began searching online for a good delivery place for dinner.

Her stomach growled at the reminder. Settling on pizza, she called in her order and even convinced them to bring her plates and napkins, since she had none. With nothing else to distract her, she watched the city lights and thought about her new life here.

She couldn’t shake the sadness. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was making a mistake—she shouldn’t be here. She’d dreamed of this fellowship for years, and now she was two days away from starting, but it felt…wrong.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. Kiera quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks as she fumbled around in the dark for her wallet to pay the pizza delivery guy.

“Hi, sorry, what’s the total?” she asked him, pulling the front door open at the same time as she counted out a few bills of cash.

“Keeks.”

Kiera’s head snapped up at the familiar nickname. Dark eyes, jet-black hair, and sleeves of tattoos she’d memorized and traced every inch of stared back at her. He’s here?

“Quinn,” she breathed, one long exhale as relief flooded her instantaneously. “What are you doing here?”

His lips twitched into a smile, his eyes roaming her body before meeting her eyes again. “God, I’ve missed looking at you, Kiera.”

That was all he needed to say for her heart to leap from her chest as she threw herself forward, barreling into him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her mouth found his eagerly, and though he seemed surprised at first, he kissed her back with as much passion. They stumbled out into the hallway, his arms around her back steadying them.

The apartment door slammed shut behind them, echoing throughout the hallway.

“Oh, shoot!” Kiera pulled away just enough to look back at the door. “I don’t have my keys.” She tried the handle, and sure enough, the door was locked. “Great.”

Quinn laughed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small set of keys. “Here. Let me.”

“It’s not a universal lock, Quinn,” she assured him. Seconds later, his key slid right in, and the door swung back open. “What! How?”

“Come inside and I’ll tell you.” He winked, taking her hand and pulling her inside.

The feeling of his fingers wrapped around hers…she forgot everything for a moment, following him blindly back inside, the door closing behind them. He stood in front of her, lifting his hands to her cheeks, and when he kissed her again it was slow and sensual, and filled with just as much heat as their fervor-filled kiss in the hall.

She moaned against his lips, his tongue slipping between hers as her knees began to tremble. Sagging into his chest, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stand for another second.

Quinn must have realized that, because in one quick move, he’d lifted her against his chest and wrapped her legs around his waist. Carrying her to the kitchen only a few steps away from the front door, he sat her on the edge of the bare marble counter. Kiera was unable to think of anything but his skin pressed against hers, the taste of him on her lips, or the way he held her to him with such command.

When the doorbell rang again, she barely heard it.

“Keeks.” He pulled away slightly, and she leaned forward to stay as close to him as possible.

She had no idea what he was doing here, and part of her was frightened to find out. Right here, right now—all she knew was she was happier than she’d been in weeks. A sense of completeness filled her, and she couldn’t think of what it would be like when he left again, or if this was just another goodbye.

“Kiera,” Quinn addressed her a second time.

“What?” she breathed.

The doorbell rang again.

“Oh! Pizza!” She bounced off the counter and fumbled around for where she’d dropped her wallet by the front door. “Damn it, it’s so dark in here, I can’t see a thing!”

Quinn chuckled and clicked on the flashlight on his phone so they could see. “Is the electricity off?”

“Nope, just no lightbulbs.” With some light, she found the cash and swung open the front door. Trading the cash for the pizza, she thanked the delivery guy. “I only got a small, so I hope you’re not too famished.”

“I could eat,” Quinn replied, leaning against the kitchen counter. “I wouldn’t mind some pizza, too.”

Kiera’s eyes flashed to him, a mischievous grin sprouting at his implication. “Don’t distract me right now. I have questions. And pizza.”

“Pizza first,” he said, taking the box from her and opening it up on the counter. His cellphone was facedown on the counter next to it, the flashlight still shining brightly into the air.

He handed her a slice of cheese pizza and she bit the tip, chewing slowly as she savored it. He took a piece for himself, downing half of it in less than three bites. After a few more bites, she placed her piece down on top of the cardboard box it had come in.

“Are you here for a visit?” she asked, keeping her eyes on her hands. She fidgeted with the edge of her thumbnail, worried that if she looked in his eyes, she’d be disappointed with his answer. “Or…to stay?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, swallowing the last of his pizza and wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Which do you want to be the answer, Kiera?”

She slid her tongue across her lower lip, debating her response. She couldn’t even believe she was asking him if he was moving to Seattle to be with her. It seemed absurd—his family, his job, his life—he couldn’t move here. But as crazy as it sounded, the moment she realized there was the tiniest possibility…that he was here…well, she knew immediately which answer she wanted.

“Stay,” she breathed, unabashedly matching his gaze now. “I want you to stay.”

Quinn exhaled in one long rush, like he’d been holding it in forever. “Thank fucking goodness, because everything I own is already in a truck on its way here. And I bought this condo already.”

Kiera’s mouth fell open as she digested his news. “Wait…what?” She looked around the dark but luxurious home and suddenly she realized that it hadn’t been a realtor’s mistake at all. Quinn had set this up on purpose, and that was why he had a key. “This is…this is your condo?”

“Actually, I hope it will be ours,” he clarified, taking her hand and pulling her against his chest. “I know it doesn’t look like much now with no furniture—or lightbulbs—but, we could live here together. Your fellowship program is only a few blocks away and my new studio is right around the corner—”

“You have a new studio?” she interrupted, twisting her fingers in the front of his shirt as she pressed her body against his. “In Seattle?”

“Yep. The art gallery owner in Manhattan introduced me to an artist here, an older man who’s been working with metals since before I was born. I’ll be working with him, learning from him, and I get to use part of his studio for now, as well. Eventually I’ll expand, get my own studio, but I’m excited to start from the basics and learn as much as I can.”

“Wow, Quinn…that’s amazing.” Kiera felt tears prickling the corners of her eyes, threatening to make their appearance. “I don’t even know what to say.”

Quinn ran his fingertips down the side of her face, dipping under her chin and lifting slightly until she was looking at him. One tear slid down her cheek, and then another. “Say you’ll forgive me for walking away. Say you’ll give me another chance to prove I’m not afraid anymore. Let me fight for you and show you that this is real for me…that you are it for me.”

Kiera’s stomach fluttered, and her heart pounded against her rib cage as she saw the sincerity in his words, the meaning in his eyes. This was real. This was what she thought they had all along.

Her mother had been right—she could have her dream career and her dream man. She could have her happy, and it all started with Quinn. She was in love, and maybe she always had been. “Quinn, I’ve been yours since the first day we met over two decades ago. I never should have walked away. You don’t have to fight for me—you already have me. You always will.”

His lips tilted upward into a smile; his shoulders sagged slightly—maybe in relief—as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her lips pressed to his, they kissed deeply, slowly, longingly. Kiera’s body felt ready to explode—from both the sensuality of the moment and the overwhelming emotion bursting at the seams of her heart.

A growl left his throat as his mouth moved across her jaw and down her neck, nibbling and kissing her skin, sending shock waves throughout her. He paused for a moment, fingering the necklace she wore. “You’re wearing my heart.”

Kiera leaned back slightly, lifting the half black glass, half empty metal heart that hung from the chain. “I love it, Quinn. I wish I’d been smart enough to accept it all those years ago— maybe then it wouldn’t have been half empty for all this time.”

“Keeks, it was never empty,” he told her, a small smile on his lips as he looked at the heart he’d given her. “It was just waiting to be filled. Waiting for its other half. I’ve been waiting for you, but I’m done waiting, Kiera.”

“Finally!” Kiera said with a laugh, loving the real meaning behind the necklace.

Quinn chuckled, shaking his head. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he teased.

She shrugged one shoulder, nonchalant as she pretended to take his apology seriously. “That’s okay. I forgive you…this time. And I love you.”

The words had barely left her lips when Quinn dipped down, one arm scooping under her knees as he lifted her into the air and cradled her against his chest.

Kiera shrieked and clutched his neck. “Quinn! Don’t drop me!”

“Not until we get to the bed,” he replied. “Then all bets are off.”

Kiera snorted, holding tighter to him. “We don’t even have lightbulbs yet, so I don’t know where you think I’m hiding a bed.”

“We’ll make it work.” Holding her in his arms, he headed toward the empty living room where she’d made the makeshift bed of blankets earlier.

“Wait!” Kiera reached one arm out for the kitchen counter. “Let’s bring the pizza.”

“For fuck’s sake, Keeks. Are you serious?” Quinn laughed, but stepped close enough to let her grab the box.

“I’ve never joked about pizza before, and I don’t plan to start now.” Kiera wiggled against him for fun as she held the box of pizza up in the air.

“You’re so lucky I love you in a forever kind of way,” he said, stealing her own words as he carried her over to the living room.

“I really am.” Kiera smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. “And you’re about to be even luckier.”

He growled, his eyes darkening. “I’m serious, Kiera. I’m going to marry you one day.”

“We’ll see,” she teased, knowing full well she’d never go another day without this man in her life.

Pizza. Sex. Maybe fiancé. A modern-day fairytale.