Chapter 34 The week flew by. Once Dorian and I made love that first night, we were inseparable, but we still hadn't discussed what was supposed to happen after I left. It was my last afternoon in Orion Coast, and we were having Chandler and Candace and their kids over for a barbecue. That could be a little awkward, I worried, since Liv was one of Candace's acquaintances. But since I didn't know the next time I'd be back in California, I wanted to take advantage of every minute here. When the doorbell rang, I got goose bumps. The moment Dorian opened the door, Candace opened her arms. "Primrose!" "Oh my gosh." I hugged her. "It's so good to see you." Chandler was holding their son. I rubbed the little boy's arm. "Hey, buddy. It's good to finally meet you." Their daughter clung to her mother's leg. It made me miss Rosie so much. Candace looked down at her. "This is Maya." She looked over at the boy lovingly. "And that's Mitchell." I felt my eyes watering. I'd never forget the time Candace had shared her fear of some other woman getting to live out her dream. It brought me so much relief to know she'd gotten her own beautiful family instead. "How has the trip been?" she asked as they entered the house. "It started out a bit rocky, but we've found our way," I told her. As Dorian and Chandler went out back with Mitchell, I turned to Candace. "So, I want to say something..." I paused. "I know Liv is your friend. I'm sure she was pretty hurt when-" "Primrose." Candace shook her head. "You don't need to explain. I knew Dorian was still in love with you when he started dating her. I would've been rooting for their relationship, if it weren't for that. But Liv was going to get hurt anyway. I knew in my heart of hearts that Dorian was using her to get over you. My goal when we talked was to get you to understand that there was still a chance to stop it, if for any reason you wanted to. You have nothing to apologize for, so long as you and Dorian are happy." "You're amazing." I let out a breath. "Thank you for caring enough to reach out to me." "So...what's next for you guys?" "I don't know," I answered. "I wish I could tell you. We've been just trying to enjoy each other, so we haven't had that difficult talk. I assume we will tonight, since my flight leaves in the morning. Obviously, his life is here. My life is there." "How has your daughter handled you being away this week?" "Not well, honestly. That's been the toughest part." "And her father?" My stomach sank at the thought of Casey. "I feel like he's expecting me to come out here and realize it was a mistake. But he doesn't realize the depth of my feelings for Dorian. I wish I could somehow love Dorian without hurting Casey, but that's not possible." I exhaled. "Going home is not gonna be easy." She put her hand on my arm. "I don't know him, but I'm sorry this is happening. He seems like a good guy." "He's an amazing dad. And he was an amazing partner. He doesn't deserve to be hurt. But even before I knew the truth about Dorian, I'd been hesitant to fully give myself to him, to promise him forever." "I guess your soul knew things weren't finished with Dorian." "Maybe." I sighed. "I just wish I could enjoy reconnecting with Dorian without the looming dread of hurting the two people who've kept me together these past five years." "Go easy on yourself, Primrose. If it's any consolation, I think you're doing the right thing. If I were in your shoes, I'd follow my heart, too. Casey will find someone someday who loves him as much as you love Dorian." "I hope so." And I meant it. I waited for jealousy, but felt none. I wanted Casey to find someone right for him. And that further validated my decision. Dorian appeared in the doorway. "Can I butt in?" "Sure," Candace said. "I have a surprise for you, Rosebud." I turned to find that two more had joined our gathering, Benjamin-and Patsy. "Oh my God." I ran to her. She opened her arms to hug me. "Primrose..." "It's so good to see you. Oh my gosh, this is the best surprise." She squeezed me. "I'm happy to see you, too." "I'm so sorry we lost touch." "Benjamin filled me in on everything," she said. "I'm glad I could be here today." "How have you been?" I asked. "I'm married now. Doing very well." "That's amazing." "I heard you have a beautiful little girl," she said. "I do." I reached for my phone and pulled up a photo of Rosie. Patsy looked down at it. "She's precious. She looks just like you." "She does." I smiled, looking forward to seeing my daughter soon-the only good thing about leaving. As the others went out to the patio, Patsy pulled me aside, lowering her voice. "I want to apologize to you about something." My eyes widened. "For what?" "Years ago, I tried to discourage you from trusting Dorian. I assumed that because he was Remington's son, he couldn't be honorable. Now that I understand things better, I believe that was an irresponsible assumption on my part. I'm sorry if I planted seeds of doubt." I shook my head. "Thank you for your apology. I never let your opinion deter me, though. Your warning did occur to me when I thought Dorian had ended things for no good reason. But of course, that was never the truth." "I know. I'm very sorry for what you both had to go through, but I'm happy you've found your way back to each other." "Thank you, Patsy. I was thinking about looking you up, but since I was only here for a short time, I was a bit overwhelmed. I'm so glad Benjamin brought you to me." "Me, too." She grinned. Having everyone over turned out to be a wonderful distraction from my anxiety about leaving. We spent a lovely afternoon together, but eventually I began to worry about not getting enough one-on-one time with Dorian now that the clock was ticking. After everyone left, he and I cleaned up, a tense silence replacing the jovial mood from earlier. And later, we sat together out by the pool, welcomed by the old familiar lights I'd painted in Ohio the day Dorian had given me my inspiration back. I rested against his chest as we looked up at the starry sky. Dorian spoke in a low voice. "When you saw me dancing with Liv out here the night you arrived, I'm sure that looked very intimate. It was an intimate moment, I suppose. But there was never a time I heard beautiful music or looked up at the sky like this when you didn't come to mind. I carried you with me. No one else even came close to the connection I have with you, Primrose. If there's any doubt, because I know I haven't said it since you've been here, I love you." He paused. "I love you with all of my heart and soul." I turned to face him. "I love you, too." "I'd been waiting for the right moment to say it. I've felt it so strongly this entire time. I just didn't want to throw those words out at the wrong moment...like during sex." He shrugged. "And we've had a lot of that." I grinned and caressed his cheek. "I'm gonna miss that so much." "Why will you miss it?" I blinked, unsure what wasn't clear about that statement. "Because we won't be together tomorrow." His eyes sparkled. "We will if I come with you." In a romance-themed observation show, several participants undergo a series of interactions and conflicts filled with love, misunderstandings, and power struggles. In the end, one couple rises to over...