I nod. “You’re right. But I was messed up back then, Gem. I hid it well, but I went off the rails after my dad left and my mom lost herself at the bottom of a vodka bottle. I’m pretty fucking sure I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you and Callum. You both saved me in different ways. And despite your parents’ faults, they kept me fed most nights and gave me a place to bed down.”
“What happened to her? To your mom?” Gem asks.
“She took off not long after I left for university, and I haven’t seen her since. I don’t even know if she’s still alive.”
Gem wraps her arms around me. “I’m so sorry. I knew you had it rough, but I didn’t realize how bad things were. You never talked about your parents.”
“I knew I had to make something of myself to have any chance with you. I heard the whispers behind my back growing up, and I didn’t want to end up like my mom and dad. So I took your parents’ money and used it for something positive.”
“But why did you stay away so long?”
I sigh, pushing my hand through my hair. “The longer I stayed away, the harder it was to come back. All I could think about were the shitty memories—my parents, the fights at school, the accident. But then I realized there were a lot of bright spots too. And they all featured you, Gem. You never saw me any differently because of where I came from, despite your wealthy background. That night, the night of the party, when you gaveme the art supplies and tried to kiss me, I pushed you away, and it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.” I shrug. “Who knows what would’ve happened if I’d kissed you that night? All I knew at the time was that giving into my feelings for you would mean risking your future.”
“You didn’t think you were worth that risk,” Gem says sadly, nodding in understanding.
If anyone gets it, she does. Years of knockdowns from her parents left her doubting her self-worth. Two completely different backgrounds, and yet the damage was the same.
Gem lifts my hand, lacing our fingers together. “I would’ve waited for you if you’d asked. I want you to know that.”
“You did wait for me,” I remind her, tucking a curl behind her ear.
“Turns out you were worth the wait.” She blushes prettily. “My heart belongs to you, Bentley Cormack, and yours is solid gold, which is why I named the shop for you.”
Heart of Gold.I shake my head, looking at her in shock. “And here I thought it was because of the jewelry.”
Gem shrugs and then smirks. “Well, that too.”
I tug her toward me. “So, if you’re my Gemstone, and I’m your Heart of Gold, what does that makes us?”
Gem presses her lips to mine. “A match made in heaven.”
Epilogue
Gemma
Four Weeks Later
“I think I’m more nervous than you,” I say, glancing at Bentley.
He looks edible in his navy suit and pink shirt. Who says men can’t wear pink? My man certainly can, and he makes it lookgood.
Tonight, it’s Bentley’s turn to shine. The university is putting on a gallery show featuring his works, and I finally get to see the life drawing I posed for what seems like a lifetime ago.
“Don’t be nervous, sweetheart. I think you’re going to love it,” Bentley replies, steady as a rock.
He’s certainly been my rock over the last month after the fallout with my parents and supporting me with my business. Things have been crazy since the grand opening, and it’s only in the last few days that things have calmed down, and I’ve been able to catch my breath.
Heart of Goldhas exceeded my wildest expectations, and if things continue the way they are, I’ll need to look for a salesassistant to help me. I need to replenish my stock, but I haven’t had the time to work on new pieces due to the demands of the shop.
I haven’t heard from my parents. I know they’ve been in touch with Callum, who’s working on his relationship with them. I don’t begrudge him if he can find answers and make peace with them. The sad thing is, I haven’t missed them. How can you miss something you never had?
It can’t be easy knowing that your daughter resents you, and some truths are hard to face. If they make an effort in the future, I’m prepared to sit down and talk. But they need to make the first move. They have to prove they want a relationship, a real relationship, with me. I guess only time will tell.
As for Bentley and me? We’ve spent every available moment together, splitting our time between his apartment and mine. When the girls and I made our pact, love was the last thing we expected to find. But Cupid had other ideas, and every single one of us has fallen for our soulmate. Even Peyton, who’s all loved up with Mr. Property Developer. Seems he wasn’t quite the tyrant she first thought.
Cleary went to Vegas and fell for the bearded tattooist who sat next to her on the plane. Then, she shocked us all by revealing that she’s the author of one of the books we read as part of our book club. The woman has talent because that book had a great plot and was seriously hot.
Tabitha, Devyn, Cordy, and Mandy all had similar stories about finding true love when they least expected it, and our group chat has been buzzing day and night over the last month.