“Tristan.”
The familiar voice had him turning around. It sounded like— “Syn, what are you doing here?”
She reached him and dragged in a deep breath. “I got your call about your mother. Is everything okay?”
She’d come all the way up from LA to check on him? “Um, yeah, she’s in traction, but she’ll be fine. You didn’t have to come all the way up here.”
“I know, but I was worried and I knew if you missed the presentation that it was something big. I didn’t get your message until after.”
He sighed. So she’d thought he’d abandoned her? “I wouldn’t just not show.”
“I know that. I knew that as soon as you didn’t show up. You worked your ass off on this. I know it was important to you. You wouldn’t have just vanished.”
At least she knew that much about him. “So, how did it go? I assume Bryan was pissed.”
She shook her head. “The presentation isn’t important right now. How is your mother? How did she end up in traction?”
Tristan sighed. “My old man made it sound more serious than it was to get me down here. He knew the presentation was today. He wanted to exert some of the Dawson power.”
She leaned away from him. “Are you kidding me right now?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I really wish I was.”
“That’s just crazy.”
“Yeah, well, you don’t know my dad. He doesn’t do rebellion very well, so Mom’s accident was the perfect reason to pull me away from what I wanted.” He shrugged. “It’s just how he does things. He sets bombs to everything he touches. I don’t think the old man will ever understand that the more he pushes to control me, the more I’ll just do my own thing. We had a chance to talk and he’s still not behind my choices.” He shrugged. “But I think he respects me a little more for standing my ground with him.”
Her smile was soft. “Even I’ve learned that lesson by now.”
God, he missed her. What he wanted to do was hold her right now. But he kept his distance. She’d made it clear how she felt about him on Saturday. “I guess you have.”
“Tristan, I’m sorry,” she blurted out.
“What? About my dad? He’s not your fault. I make it a point to thank my grandparents every chance I get.”
“No, about Saturday. About all of it. I was scared as hell and seeing you with Bella just gave me a reason to hide. To prove that loving you was a mistake. I should have just listened to you, but I didn’t know how.”
Loving him? His blood rushed. She’d just said loving him. “Wait, can you repeat that last part?”
A soft smile tugged at her lips. “What? About me not knowing how?”
He tilted his head. “No, before that.”
“Oh, you mean, the part about how seeing you with Bella just gave me a reason to hide?”
“Sort of, but the part right after.”
She grinned. “Oh, the part about me loving you? Yeah, I’m a little late to the party. I finally figured out that all those feelings that were making me feel insane, that was just the love talking.”
“Now you tell me.”
“Well, there’s something else too. Bella offered me the job today.”
He nodded. “I figured she would.”
“But I told her the only way I was taking it is if I had a partner.”
Warmth started to spread in his chest. “A partner?”
“Yes, because I’m better with you. We need each other. I need you. And I don’t want to do it without you. And Bella agrees with me. We landed the job.”
Tristan grinned as he pulled her to him. “If you can just go back to that part about loving me again and stop there, I’d be the happiest guy in the world.”
“I love you, Tristan Dawson.”
“And I love you, Synthia Michaels.”
“I’m so glad to hear that because you’re going to be stuck with me for quite some time.”
“Sounds like heaven to me.”
* * ***