He kissed me, cutting off my rambling. When he pulled back, he was smiling.
"I want you to stay. I want you to get that cabin and set up an office and become part of this town." His voice dropped. "I want you to build a life here. With me."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." He kissed me again, slower this time.
We made love that night with a new tenderness, knowing this was real. Permanent. And afterward, wrapped in each other, Jason murmured, "When do you want to see the cabin?"
"Tomorrow? If Finn can arrange it."
"He can." Jason laughed softly. "Fair warning—it needs a little work. But it has good bones."
"I don't need perfect. I just need space to write and a reason to stay."
"You have a reason." Jason's hand found mine in the dark. "You have me."
And that, I thought as I drifted toward sleep, was more than enough.
***
Saturday morning, Finn drove us out to the cabin in his truck.
The road wound through snow-covered forest, past his Christmas tree farm. About ten minutes from town, he turned onto a narrow drive leading deeper into the trees.
"Even though it’s been empty, I've been checking on it," Finn said. "It's winterized, so you'd be fine even in January. I'm asking $800 a month, utilities included."
The cabin came into view—small and weathered, logs gone silver with age, a metal roof covered in snow. It looked like something from a fairy tale.
"It's perfect," Jason breathed.
Inside, the cabin was rustic but functional. A main living area with a stone fireplace. A galley kitchen. Two small bedrooms. One bathroom.
Everything smelled like cedar and dust and potential.
The larger bedroom had windows on two walls with views of the forest.
"This could be my office," I said, imagining my desk under the window.
"The other bedroom's smaller," Finn said. "Assuming you'll be sleeping at Jason's most nights anyway."
He was almost smiling.
"You're okay with this?" I asked. "Me staying?"
"I'm okay with Jason being happy. And you make him happy." Finn crossed his arms. "But the lease is month-to-month for the first six months. You hurt him, you're gone. Clear?"
"Crystal clear."
"Good. I'll text you the lease details. First month, last month, and deposit—can you handle that?"
"I can. Thanks for this."
Jason was standing in the main room when I came out, smiling.
"You're really doing this."
"I'm really doing this." I pulled him close. "Building a life here. With you."
