I nod against his chest. “It’s done.”
He exhales, long and a little shaky, and pulls me closer, chin resting on top of my head. “How do you feel?”
I think about his question for a moment.
“Relieved,” I whisper. “Terrified. Proud. Sad. All at once.”
He kisses my hair. “You’re allowed to feel everything.”
We sit in silence for a long time.
Laura calls an hour after I sent her the file. I put her on speaker. Aaron’s arm tightens around me.
“Megan.” Her voice cracks on my name. “It’s out.”
My heart stutters.
“The story dropped twenty minutes ago,” she continues, words tumbling over each other. “Front page online. Print tomorrow. Social is already exploding with activists, politicians, and even the governor’s office issued a statement saying they’re ‘deeply concerned.’ The feds are moving. Dallas field office just confirmed they’re opening a full RICO investigation. Ramseywas picked up at his office thirty minutes ago. Tate’s in custody. They’re talking already. Singing like birds.”
I close my eyes. Tears spill over anyway.
“It’s over,” I whisper.
“It’s over,” Laura says, voice thick. “You did it, sweetie. You really did it. And you’re alive to see it.”
Aaron kisses my temple, soft, steady.
We hang up.
The threat is gone.
The story is out.
The world knows.
Aaron turns me in his arms, looks down at me. His eyes are soft, vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen, raw, open, terrified, and hopeful all at once.
“You’re free to go,” he says quietly. “You can go back to Dallas. Back to your life. The threat’s neutralized. You’re safe.”
The words land like a blow.
I stare at him. See the fear behind them, the belief that I might walk out that door and never come back. That this was only temporary. That I’ll choose the city, the byline, the spotlight over him.
My heart cracks open.
I reach up, cup his face with both hands. My thumbs stroke the scar on his jaw, the faint lines around his eyes, the stubble that’s grown rougher overnight.
“I’m already home,” I say.
His breath catches sharp and audible.
I hold his gaze. “I’m not going anywhere, Aaron. This…” I gesture around the cabin, the ranch, the life we’ve built in these few chaotic days. “This is home now. You’re home. I don’t want Dallas. I don’t want the city lights, the newsroom, or any of it without you. I want to wake up in the mornings in your arms. Iwant nights on the porch swing. I want your coffee, your flannel, and your stubborn rules. I wantyou. Forever.”
His eyes shine. They’re bright and wet, shining with something so raw it steals my breath.
He pulls me into his arms hard and desperate, crushing me against his chest like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he lets go. His mouth finds mine, kisses me in a deep, slow, claiming kiss. It’s emotional. Our relief, love, fear, and gratitude all poured into one kiss that tastes like forever.
When we break apart, we’re both trembling.
