enough hotel rooms trying to figure out how I was going to survive you again to know that my only answer to the question is that I can’t survive you again. I love you. I love you.”
She says it all in one long breath, and I can’t keep the enormous, shit-eating grin off my face.
“Hallie Caldwell, I plan to spend the rest of my life loving you. And making mistakes. And fixing them. I love you and I will keep loving you forever.”
I lean down and kiss her soft lips. I still can’t quite convince myself that this isn’t some kind of incredibly realistic dream. When she eventually pulls away, she looks up at me with a little contented smile.
“So, man with the plan, what do we do now?”
“I may have a few ideas.”
“There also may be a curious four year old just waiting to pounce on me any second now, so your ideas might just have to wait.”
I groan. “Seriously, Hals?”
“Seriously. Get used to it. Also, if she decides tomorrow that she doesn’t like you, I’m kicking you out.”
“I think I would be more worried about her deciding that she doesn’t like you anymore. Give it a week, and she’ll be eating right out of my hand. If you don’t believe me, I’ll let my nephews do the vouching. According to the pair of them, I’m the coolest uncle ever. You’re so not ready for this action.”
“Diana! How is she? I can’t wait to see her. It’s been too long.”
“To say that she’ll be thrilled to see you is a serious understatement. I stopped calling her every day because she never manages to get off the phone without getting in a little dig about how her idiot brother was a jackass and lost the best thing to ever happen to him. I’m surprised she hasn’t disowned me.”
“Is she still in New York?”
“Yeah.”
She makes a face. “I hate New York. But I love you so much that in my totally mixed-up crazy state, I even had the bright idea of dragging Grace along with me to New York so that I could find you.”
“Why not? Come to New York, I mean.”
“Um, because the entire celebrity press corps is probably camped out in front of your apartment? Can you even imagine what it would be like if the three of us showed up there, bags in hand?”
“We’re going to have to deal with that sooner or later, but it doesn’t matter anyways, because I have another apartment. Come on. New York. The big city. I bet Grace would love it.”
“I hate New York.”
“You do not. You’re just saying that. Give me five days, Hals. I’ll show you around my New York.”
“I’ve heard that one before.”
We both smile. I run my finger down her cheek, wiping away the last remnants of wetness.
“I’m serious. Five days, with you and Grace in New York. I’ll pull out all of my creepy disguises and you two can pick the best one for me to wander around the city in.”
“I’m still not sure if taking my daughter to one of our infamous rendezvous sites is the best plan right now. That’s what they’re saying, right? That I’m a giant slut who cheated on my husband with you?”
“I take that to mean that you haven’t seen the stories?”
She shakes her head, and I cover her hand with mine.
“Don’t read them. Just don’t.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. I know. We could go to Vancouver and check out some of the Rage locations. I like Vancouver. Don’t you like Vancouver?”
I do happen to like Vancouver, but I am a man with a plan, as she put it, and my plan for what happens next requires her and me, and Grace, in New York.
“Hallie. If we go to New York, you can see Sam, and we can go ice skating and to the Empire State Building and we can go do all of the touristy shit that you love and I love because I’m with you. Come on. You know you want to say yes. You just know you do.”
“Can we go to the zoo?”
I spin around to see Grace, wide eyed and wide awake, with a very guilty look on her face.
“Grace Ellison, you know the rules about getting out of bed without permission.”
“Mommy, I want to go to the zoo. You promised the zoo.”
“I want to go to the zoo, too,” I add, crossing my arms and trying to match the pout on Grace’s face.
She gives me an