I crossed my arms and leaned back. “Then why the hell did you do it? Why did you lie to me and use my ideas? Why would you do that?”
He took a shaky breath in. “I didn't tell you I was a billionaire because I wanted you to want me, not my money. The money has been so overwhelming, that it was the best thing in the world to find someone who didn't know.”
“You slept with me,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “You let me hunt for a job while you ran a billion dollar corporation and could have given me a job in a second.”
“Because you would have wanted to earn it,” he shot back. He took a breath and pulled off his glasses, folding them in his hands. “You wanted to earn that job at ZephTech.”
“So? I would have taken a job from you,” I told him. “I would have taken a job.”
“I used your ideas so you could see how perfect they were.” He folded and unfolded his glasses, saying his words calmly. “My plan was to show you how successful your ideas were, how perfect you were for the job. Then you would have known that I didn't just give it to you, that it was your job by rights. Not by gift.”
A crack in my hardened heart appeared. I couldn't help it.
“I told my team that the updates were from a bright new designer, not from me,” he continued. “You earned the job I was going to offer you.”
“Then why didn't you offer it?” I asked, tightening my crossed arms.
“I was going to have you come to the office on Sunday and have the team there to welcome you,” he replied. “That's part of why I went in to the office on Saturday. It wasn't just to sign paperwork, but to get everything ready to hire you.”
The crack deepened.
He set his glasses down on the table. “But then you saw the picture. You saw the updates. Everything that could go wrong, did.”
“Why should I believe you?” I asked. In my heart, I wanted to believe him. I wanted to jump into his arms and forgive him everything if it were true, but he had hurt me too badly for me not to be at least a little careful.
He set his glasses down and focused the full power of his blue eyes directly on me. “Because I love you.”
For a moment, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak, I couldn't move.
“I love you, Alicia,” he continued. “I've loved you since that first day in the park. You're my perfect match. You're funny and smart, beautiful and creative. You see my work and know exactly how to make it shine. I would never do anything to hurt you. Ever.”
“But how do I know?” I whispered. My heart felt like it was going to explode. The cracks in the armor around it were too deep to stop it from staying in one piece. “How do I know that you aren't just making this up. How can I trust you?”
He slid his phone across the stone table with the chess board printed on it. “Here's the credits for the game. If you want, you can call my update team and they'll tell you that I never took credit for the updates. It was always meant to be yours.”
I cautiously picked up his phone and started reading. My name was featured prominently on the screen. According to the game data, it had been on there for the past two weeks. I'd been listed there before we'd had our fight.
“That's why you didn't want me to take the ZephTech job,” I said quietly, sliding the phone back.
He nodded. “I almost asked you there at the restaurant, but I was so close to having everyt
hing be official that I wanted to wait. I see now that I shouldn't have.”
I sighed. “Do you mean what you said before?” I asked, looking up into his eyes. “That you love me?”
“Yes. More than anything. I've missed you so much.” His eyes said it was true. He was so genuine with his words. I wouldn’t have been able to stay mad at him even if I had. Not now.
“I missed you, too,” I whispered, choking back my emotion. “I love you, Jacob.”
His smile was the sun. It made my world bright. “Can we try again? Please?” he asked.
I looked up at him. There was one more thing I had to tell him. “There's something you need to know. I meant to tell you before now, but...” I trailed off, not sure what to say.
“Nothing you say can push me away now,” he said. I believed him.
“I'm pregnant,” I blurted out. My eyes shot downward and I felt tears well in them. I didn't know what I would do if he reacted poorly.
He reached out his hands, folding them over my own. They were warm and strong and his very touch made my body react. I didn't want him to let me go. Ever.