I thought once I left the board room, the panic would hit me. But as I sit in my office, waiting for Grandpa’s lawyer to finish with the vote, I feel a strange sense of calm wash over me.
I’ve accepted my fate, regardless of what the board decides. If I don’t receive my company’s shares, I can still stay on as the Director. My brothers will be pissed, especially Declan, because of the fallout with my father. I get that, but I did everything possible on my end to gain the upper hand.
Instead of going with my original presentation with the best of the Alpha and Beta team ideas, I went with my gut intuition. It was a stressful change, but Martha helped me power through. And damn, I did not expect my secretary to be one of the votes. I can’t believe she hid that from me while helping me with the presentation.
At least I can guarantee myself one vote.
And maybe two.
Zahra seemed moved by the entire thing, but I wouldn’t hold it against her if she decided I wasn’t worthy of the position or the power associated with the shares. While I’m annoyed my father let out that secret, I think it was his way of letting me know that he is aware of our stakes. Somehow his letter from Grandpa must have said more than I bargained for.
There’s a knock on my door. Martha opens it and pops her head in. “Your father would like a word with you.”
“Let him in.” Might as well get this over with.
My father strolls into my office.
“Have a seat.”
He remains standing. “I don’t plan on staying long.”
I raise a brow. “Here to gloat?”
He shakes his head. “No. I want to tell you that I’m proud of you.”
I wait for the other half of the statement picking apart where I went wrong. The silence grows as I come to the realization that he really only wanted to say that.
“Why?”
He ignores me. “I wish you the best of luck running this place. I’ll expect you at the next board meeting, ready to deliver a more concise presentation regarding your budget plan for all of this.”
Did I really win the approval of the voters or is this some joke to string me along?
“What are you saying?”
“Your grandfather would have been proud of the man you’ve become.”
Another message.
He exits my office with a nod, leaving me to stare at the spot where he stood, wondering how the hell I pulled that off.
The lawyer enters my office soon after my father and confirms what I already know. The committee approved of my changes and he will be contacting me next week to discuss my finances. It feels surreal to finally put all this behind me. I’m looking forward to actually getting things done rather than discussing it.
I text my brothers and let them know that my part of the plan is complete. Now it’s up to them to secure their parts.
I pull up my messages with Zahra and text her, hoping she will finally give me the chance I need to convince her that I’m serious about us.
Me: Will you come over tonight and hear me out?
Me: Please.
I tack on the second message for bonus points.
Her response is instant.
Zahra: Okay. Only because you asked nicely.
Zahra: But don’t get your hopes up.
Too late. For the first time in weeks, I finally smile.
I pace the front porch. The wood creaks under my shoes with every step. A twig snaps and I look up to find Zahra walking up the driveway wearing the same white dress as earlier. The colors of the sunset make the perfect backdrop for her, and I find myself getting lost in how beautiful she is.
The only thing missing is her smile. After today, I swear to never make her feel anything but happy around me. While it might seem like an impossible goal, I’m all about achieving the unattainable.
Zahra walks up the steps, keeping her face neutral. She makes a move toward the front door but I steer her toward the swinging bench I’ve come to appreciate. I’m hoping it brings me some courage to get through everything I’m about to unleash.
Now’s a good time to wish me luck, Mom.
“So…” Zahra rocks back and forth, making the swing move.
“When my grandfather sent me here as part of his will, I never thought I would meet someone as special as you. It was supposed to be a simple project. But I should have known things wouldn’t go according to plan the moment you fell into my lap—quite literally. It’s like life kept throwing you in my way time and time again hoping I would get the memo. I was too stubborn to realize that you were always meant to be mine, Zahra. And because of that, I made mistakes. I lied about who I was. I refused to trust you even though I knew deep down I could. And most of all, I pushed you away when you did nothing but open your heart up to me without any reciprocation. I took your love for granted when I should have cherished it. Because to be loved by you is a gift. One that I threw away because I was too stupid and selfish to give you that kind of power over me in return.”
Her eyes soften around the edges, and she pulls my hand onto her lap.
“You were right when you said you deserve better. You always have and you always will. But I refuse to let you go. I can’t let you go because you’re the one person in this entire world who makes me want to smile, and I’m too damn selfish to let the best thing in my life get away from me because I’m afraid.”
Her eyes fill with tears but she blinks the tears away before they fall.
I give her hand a squeeze. “Truth is, I’m terrified of falling in love. But I’d rather trust you with my heart and risk you breaking it than live another day without you in my life. I want to be the kind of man that deserves a woman as beautiful, selfless, and kind as you. It might take my entire life to achieve that kind of goal, but as long as you’re by my side, I’d consider it a life worth living.”
Her bottom lip wobbles and I trace it with my thumb.
“And while I know I don’t deserve you, I’ll spend every single day proving to you how much I love you.”
A tear slips out, and I brush it away with the pad of my thumb.
“What about moving back to Chicago?”
“Fuck Chicago. There’s nothing I want more than to stay here with you and build a life together.”
“A kiss for a secret?” Her voice cracks.
I nod.
Her lips press against mine. I sigh as I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her close. I pour every feeling into that kiss, hoping she understands how much I care about her. How I never want to let her go.
She pulls away with a ragged breath. “I love you too, Rowan. And I would be more than happy to protect your heart from the world because you make me want to be a little bit selfish too.” Her smile rivals everything else in the entire world.
Zahra’s it for me. I know it with everything in me, and my intuition has never been wrong before. There’s nothing in the world I’ll find more beautiful than her. Not the sun. Not the moon. Not even the entire galaxy compares to the light she radiates wherever she goes.
