"I'm sorry," he apologized immediately.
"For being an asshole or what? Be specific?"
"For everything. I should have picked up the phone. Unfortunately, I left the phone in Theo's car. I didn't intentionally shut you out. Believe me when I say we just got carried away, okay?"
Her face remained stubborn.
"I swear. I'll never do anything to hurt you or make you question my love for you," he continued until her facial features relaxed a little. "I love you."
That sealed the deal for her, and she allowed Atlas to kiss her.
The second he felt her lips part open for him, he sighed with relief internally.
For just that moment, he had successfully escaped scrutiny.
He didn't know how long he could continue, until the truth about Vanna came to light.
His only hope was for it to take a while, because Aveline was already dealing with so much.
"I'll go see if Joanne made something for the inevitable hangover," she said after their lips separated.
