“That explains all the glitter and bows,” I said, smiling and feeling touched by their kindness. “Even when you came home, you knew exactly what to bring for Evie. Thank you. Both of you. It’s rare for Evie to play with someone she’s never met before, but she trusted you. Of course, since Jonah trusts you both too. She’s learned that anyone he approves of is okay.”
Chloe’s expression shifted, like she was seeing something that wasn’t really there. “You don’t have to explain. We just wanted to help.”
I looked between Chloe and Sean, these two people so clearly connected, like a team built over time and trial. It felt oddly comforting. I should have felt out of place with this couple who were so clearly in love with each other, but instead, I felt … welcome.
I let out a breath. “And Jonah’s been … amazing. I don’t even have words for what he’s done for us. That night when I was ill, I wasn’t expecting him to bring his friends in for help. He doesn’t exactly open up.”
“He does now,” Sean said. “At least to you.”
I blinked, caught off guard by the simplicity of it. I gave a small smile and nodded.
I felt something unfamiliar but welcome stir in my chest.
That horrible night had reminded me what it looked like when people showed upforyou. Not just when it suited them, but when it mattered the most. In spite of their excess wealth and busy schedules, they knew what was truly important.
I felt Jonah’s hands tighten around my waist.
“You okay?” he asked me, not even pretending to direct the question at anyone else.
I nodded, suddenly self-conscious and tucking my hair behind my ear. “Yeah. I’m just really glad we came.”
His gaze flicked to Chloe and Sean, who both gave him the tiniest smirks, like they knew exactly what was going through his head.
He cleared his throat. “Right. Good.”
And then, somehow, it all became easy. Chloe turned on some soft music, Sean poured us some drinks, and I curled up on the couch beside Jonah.
Sean was, like Jonah, a man of few words, but my heart warmed when I saw Jonah and Sean talk freely to each other. Seeing Jonah have friends made me feel happy.
They talked, they laughed, mostly at Sean’s expense, and by the time the food arrived, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt like this. Like I wasn’t just making it through the days, but like I was part of something meaningful.
At one point, I caught Jonah looking at me. Like he couldn’t quite believe I was here, with him, withthem.Like I was something precious.
I gave him a soft smile and felt it down in my chest when he smiled back.
Was this freaking real?
“You can’t compare this to Jonah’s place,” Chloe said as we were leaving. I’d just complimented her on how beautiful their place was. “He’s got this incredible view of the city, I never tire of it whenever we visit.”
Her casual comment reminded me of my initial observation. In all our time together, in all our intimate moments, I’d never actually been to his apartment. He always came to mine, always stayed in my space. Why had I never noticed that before?
The thought lingered as we drove back home.
“What’s the matter?” Jonah asked when we parked outside my apartment. “Something about their place made you uncomfortable.”
In the soft darkness of the car, I held his gaze. “Yes. I realized I’ve never seen where you live.”
Jonah’s eyes went distant and he gave a low whistle. “I didn’t realize—” he began, then stopped abruptly. “Let’s fix it.” He took my hand in his, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. “Let’s go back to my place now.”
I smiled and shook my head. “Anne needs to go home, and I can’t spring this on Evie all of a sudden. I’ll need to give her a heads-up before I stay over anywhere.” I squeezed his hand. “But yes, I would love to see your place sometime, Jonah.”
It was a testament to how much he understood Evie’s place in my world that he didn’t push. He just nodded, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand.
Kissing him goodnight, I got out of the car and made my way up the stairs, feeling his gaze on me until I disappeared inside.
I bid Anne a good-night, and walked into Evie’s room to kiss her even though she was fast asleep. I lay in bed next to her for a good ten minutes, listening to the sound of her breathing before I stood up to head back to my room.
I paused by the window, needing air and perspective. Below, two men walked past my building holding hands, then settled onto a bench across the road, just within the glow of a streetlamp.
