“And… you’re sure you’re not just saying all this because of my anxiety? You’re not giving it up for me?”
“I’m not giving it up for you. I’m doing it because I’m selfish, and I want as many moments with you as I can get. You’re going to be so sick of me because now that I have you, there’s no chance I’m going anywhere again unless you come with me.”
A fresh set of happy, relieved tears flows down my cheeks as I lean in and press a kiss to her lips. I have no words for how much her assurances mean, and for the first time in a while, my heart feels heavy from joy instead of sadness.
My stomach growls, ruining the tender moment, which makes Addison chuckle.
“Come on, let’s get some food in you, and you can catch me up on everything I’ve missed.”
As we dress, I fill her in on the small things that’ve happened. Once we get our food, I spill the big things about Briar and Oakley’s relationship and everything that transpired over the winter.
I thought for sure Oakley would have reached out to Addison at some point, and Addison admits that she did, but it was too painful to talk to her because of me.
“I hope Oakley’s not mad at me,” Addison says. “It sounds like she might’ve been too busy to notice, but I’ll apologize tomorrow when we get back.”
I blink at her, my burrito paused halfway to my mouth. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow… when I drive us home?”
“I thought you’d go back to Nevada and pack or maybe stay there for the rest of the season, and we’d… do long distance until you moved back when the arena is finished."
“What part of ‘now that I have you, there’s no chance I’m going anywhere again unless you come with me,’implied I’d want to spend another second away from you?”
“But what about your things? What about competing?”
“I can buy new clothes, and when you’re ready, we can make the trip to get the rest of my stuff. As for competing, I wasn’t planning on doing very many this season, anyway.”
She shrugs as if it’s not a big deal. Like this change of plans isn’t major.
I guess to some people, a change like this isn’t monumental. Not everyone has the same type of worries about moving as I do. She’s uprooting her life—something I don’t think I could do—and she’s barely batting an eye.
Instead of asking if she’s sure again, I remind myself that Addison is her own person. I’m not forcing her into this. If she wanted to travel the country and compete, we’d make it work. The steadiness in her voice and the lax way she’s holding herself tell me this is a decision she’s confident in, and I’m not about to argue with her about it.
“I guess I’d better tell Shiloh and Cillian I won’t need a ride home tomorrow. Oh! And I’ll need to tell Daddy to get Athena’s stall ready.”
I shoot both of them a text. Daddy might be sleeping already, but he’ll see it in the morning. Shiloh sends the party face emoji and tells me she’s happy for me. I feel bad for making her and Cillian drive all this way. I’ll make it up to them by buying them a round of drinks sometime.
When we get back to the motel, we’re both exhausted from the events of the day, and we fall asleep wrapped around each other before ten.
For the first time in seven months, I don’t have any nightmares.
As we roll under the sign welcoming us to Forget Me Not Ranch, it feels like taking a breath of fresh air.
Home.
I’m home, with the love of my life beside me, and she’s staying.
“God, I’ve missed it here,” Addison whispers reverently as she parks her truck. She brings our hands—which have been locked together basically the entire drive—up to her lips and presses a gentle kiss to my knuckles. “It’s good to be back.”
“It’s good to have you back.” The front door of the main house slams open, and my best buddy bursts out, followed by the rest of my family.
I hop out of the truck just as Hudson barrels into my legs. “Juni! You back.”
“I am, and I brought a friend with me. Can you say hi to Addison?”
Hudson shyly waves, and Addison gives him a soft smile. “Hi, buddy. I heard you like horses. Do you want to meet mine? Her name is Athena.”
At the mention of his favorite animal, Hudson perks up,grabbing Addison’s hand and dragging her around to the back of the trailer. Oakley follows, already chatting her ear off, catching her up on everything happening.
