Alec’s quiet footsteps follow, and he closes the door behind us.
“Sam, I’ve missed you.” Her voice cracks against my neck, warm tears dampening my skin.
“I missed you too.” I nuzzle my face in her hair.
The scent of her—clean, soft,home—grounds me. My arms tighten around her, and for the first time in days, my lungs fill properly.
Behind me, Alec’s low voice cuts through the moment. “Paige?”
Olivia peers over my shoulder, her expression confused.
He steps forward, presses a gentle kiss to her cheek, and smiles softly. “Where’s Paige, Livvy?”
“Ah—she’s upstairs, but…”
“We know,” he interjects, his tone calm and steady. “That’s why I’m here. Well, Sam too, but he’s got other reasons too.” He dons a gentle smile. “I’ll go up to her.”
Without waiting for a reply, he heads for the stairs, giving us both space but also chasing the reassurance he needs. Paige’s accident hit him hard. She’s fast become like a granddaughter to him, and he needs to see with his own eyes that she’s all right.
She watches him go, bewildered, then looks back at me. I guide her to the couch and pull her into my lap.
“Sam, how did you know about Paige?”
“Jonah, and before you castrate the man, hear me out.” My tone softens. “He loves you like a brother and wants to see you happy. He knows what you mean to me. He thought I should know—and he was right. You should’ve called me.”
“But you said you needed space,” she whispers, her voice small, uncertain.
My first inclination is to point out my text about wanting to talk, but I leap to the most logical explanation for her silence after I hit send. She hasn’t seen it.
“Livvy.” I tilt her chin so she’ll look at me. “No matter what’s going on between us, I need to know if you’re okay. If Paige is hurt, ifyouneed me, I want to be there. Space doesn’t mean silence. We’ve got things to talk about, yeah, and it won’t all be easy—but I’m not going anywhere.”
She fixes me with a look, still stuck on one detail. “Jonah?”
“Yeah. He called me, told me about the accident, said Paige had a concussion and bruised ribs. Then Paige called.”
Her eyes widen. “She called you?”
I nod. “She told me you weren’t talking to Pete. She said you were focused on canceling your big meeting with Mrs. Preston tomorrow. But with the hotel launch so close, you can’t afford that. So I’m here—to stay with Paige, so you can go. I’m here to help.”
Realization floods her expression, her breath catching as she stares at me. Then, without warning, she surges forward, clutching my face between her hands and kissing me with a ferocity that steals the air from my lungs.
Heat tears through me, every nerve alive. Her mouth is desperate, hungry, all need and apology. Every stroke of her tongue is an ache, every sound a confession.
When she breaks the kiss, her words tumble out in a rough, breathless rush. “Sam, I love you.”
It’s raw. Unfiltered. Real.
I growl against her lips, “I love you too.”
Our mouths collide again, all fire and forgiveness. Her body molds to mine, and everything else falls away—the distance, the silence, the pain.
There’s still so much to say, so much to work through, but for now, this is enough.
For now, she’s in my arms.
And for the first time in days, everything is right again.
I can finally breathe.
