’m Jeff. Top apartment C. Tessa’s in unit A, at the end of the hall.”
“Thanks.”
His mouth quirked in a confused grin, and he looked at Zach a little funny.
“What?” he asked.
He shook his head. “Just trying to figure out why in the hell you let such a good thing go.” Then he shrugged and put up his hands before trotting down the rest of the steps. “Not my business. Good luck.”
As Jeff walked down the street of fancy brownstones, Zach muttered, “Yeah. Still trying to figure that out myself.”
He took a deep breath, rubbed his hands down the thighs of his jeans, and started down the hall. “Okay, Zach,” he muttered to himself, “don’t fuck this up, man.”
At her door, he paused. He closed his eyes and flexed and clenched his hands as he tried to remember what the hell he was going to say to her. He’d planned it all out a dozen times, but suddenly, with his heart jumping and his stomach squeezing, he couldn’t remember a damn—
The door opened, surprising Zach. Tessa held a black garbage bag and took a step toward the hall, stopping suddenly with a squeak of surprise before falling back. Her hand flew to her chest, and her eyes were wide and round.
“Oh my God,” she breathed, dropping the hand at her chest. She focused on him, and a handful of emotions flashed across her face, ending in confusion. “Zach? What… Why… How… Is something wrong?”
Her hair was up in a messy bun, her face naked without a stitch of makeup. She wore a hoodie sweatshirt and torn jeans, and, God, she’d never looked more beautiful. Zach had an overwhelming urge to step forward and scoop her up in his arms, but she’d made herself perfectly clear when she’d left, so he stayed put.
“Not anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
He sighed. “Can I, um, come in?”
“Oh.” She looked down and stepped aside, holding the door open. “Of course.”
He stepped through the door and right into the living room. It was small, but the ceilings were high and the windows let in a lot of light. One wall had been dedicated to Sophia with bookshelves and toy bins. But when he turned his head to look around, all he saw were big brown boxes stacked everywhere.
“What…?” He frowned at her. “You’re moving?”
She tucked her hair behind one ear and crossed her arms. “Yeah.”
Jesus Christ. He’d scoured every rental in the area to get as close to her as he could afford. But he swallowed his frustration. “Guess that means you got your promotion, huh?”
She hesitated. “I did.”
He smiled. “Congratulations. You deserve it. So, um, closer to work, huh? Is that like a few blocks? A few miles?”
Her jaw shifted to the side. “Zach, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” She unfolded her arms, lifting them before she let them drop again. “I could have pulled Sophia from school to see you.”
“Because I came to see you too. And I wanted to talk to you first. Alone.”
Her lips pressed into a firm line, and her gaze drifted away. “I want to talk to you too. I wasn’t quite ready, but since you’re here…” She gestured to the sofa and started that way. “Take off your coat.”
When she curled into the far corner, her stocking feet tucked under her, Zach slid out of his jacket and sat on the edge of the cushions. “Wow, it’s so good to see you. I’ve been watching the news on your veterans bill. It’s getting a lot of great press. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Her smile was weak, her voice soft.
He needed to clear the air between them. Needed to get the crap weighing on his heart out and find solid ground. So he heaved a sigh and dove in. “I need to apologize, Tessa. I handled the whole custody thing wrong. You’ve been amazing. Truly above reproach. You were right to put Sophia first. Her happiness and security should be our highest priority, and I realize stability is the best thing for her right now. I should have trusted you, and I’m sorry I didn’t listen to my gut on that. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the lawyer.”
A little grin tipped her lips. “How long did you practice that?”
He huffed a laugh and rubbed his face with both hands, groaning, “Since the day you left.” He dropped his hands and gave her a smirk. “It’s come a long way, but I still forgot half of what I wanted to say.”
She laughed softly. “It’s really good to see you too.”