“Lavender-honey tea,” Gabe says excitedly, looking to me in question, and I bob my head. “Two, please.”
A couple of minutes later, we’re walking down Main with our drinks, it’s sweet and floral, and has an unexpectedly pleasant spearmint flavor.
“Do you like it?” Gabe asks.
I take another sip. “Love it,” I tell him, then ask the question that’s been on my mind. “Why did you avoid the kiosk for so long?”
He exhales, looking back at the kiosk. “I don’t know, I guess… Well, I was nervous about being around people. And”—he pauses, looking down at his tea—“I think I was punishing myself. Keeping myself from things I wanted.”
I put my arm around him, holding him to my side as we walk. “No more of that, baby. You never deserved punishment. You deserve to have everything you want.”
And I’ll make sure he never forgets that.
His teeth rake over his bottom lip as he smiles. It’s a little sad. “I’m starting to understand that. Therapy has opened my eyes to all the ways I was hurting myself. I… I want to be better to myself. I’m working on seeing myself in a better light.”
I plant a kiss on his cheek. “Good, you’re my favorite person, Gabe. You deserve only kindness and joy, even from yourself.”
He leans in to kiss me, it’s awkward as we walk, and we end up clicking teeth and laughing into each other’s mouths. I walk him to the front of Evergreen and take his tea, setting both cups down on the window ledge.
“Hey!” he protests, and I chuckle before cradling his face and kissing him hard, right on the street for all of Willowrun to see, including stupid fucking Micah.
When we break apart, Gabe is grinning. He shakes his head at me. “Okay, caveman, you done staking your claim?”
I kiss him again just to feel his smile against mine, taste his happiness. “Never,” I growl into the kiss, making him giggle as his fingers thread through my hair.
I step back and hand him his tea again. “See you later, baby.”
He’s smiling wide, dimple on display. Even now, he still gets that pretty blush when I call him baby.
“See you later, Blue.”
I slip my arms around him, trailing my fingers along his spine under his sweater. One of his hands rubs my back, the other is buried in my hair, holding me close.
We’re in the kitchen. I’m not scheduled for the gym today, and Gabe is taking the afternoon off. He hired a part-time staffmember, Marissa, to cover a couple of days a week so he could attend his therapy sessions and have some downtime. His online sales have been doing well, and he has some future events booked, so he’s going to keep her on as long as he can.
He had a session this morning, and I never know how he’ll be when he comes back. Usually, he’s just tired, but a few times, he’s been so upset, he’s spent the day and night crying. It kills me seeing him like that. All I can do is be there for him. I can’t take all the hurt away, no matter how much I wish I could. Every time I hold him through it, though, I feel this spark of awareness in my chest, something telling me I was always meant to come back here, to Gabe. I was made to be his, his support, his love. Whatever he needs.
“Are you okay?” he asks gently.
“Yeah,” I answer honestly. I bring my head back and look at his face. He’s always been gorgeous to me, but I can see the difference in him from when I first moved in—eyes brighter, face less gaunt.
“Just thinking,” I admit. “About us, about how happy I am that I came back to Willowrun. You’ve given me so much, Gabe.”
A little crease forms between his brows. I run my thumb over it, smoothing it out.
“You gave me what I’ve always craved since I was a child, what I spent all my time away from here searching for.”
“Which was?” he whispers.
I press my face into his neck. “Home. Family.”
He trembles in my hold, a small sniffle escaping him as he clutches me close, fingers tracing the tip of my compass tattoo. “Noah,” he breathes. “You give me everything I need and more. You guided me back to myself.”
I press my lips to the scar on his cheek. “Can we go lie down in bed for a bit?”
“Sure, tired?”
“Nah, just want to hold you,” I tell him.
