I remember your smile when you told me you liked purple. Right then, I knew you’d found a piece of yourself again.
Parker’s is the most serious, her handwriting neat and precise.
You became my family the first time you trusted me with your fears. I’ll never forget that moment. Or any of the ones after.
I clutch the cards to my chest, unable to speak. No matter what happens on Saturday, I’ll survive. I’ll remember. Because my friends—my family—won’t accept any other outcome.
Emi starts in on my toes again. Isabel offers me a marshmallow so bright, it can probably be seen from space, and Parker gives my hand a squeeze.
I’m still nervous about the surgery. Still terrified Prophet will find me. But I’m not alone. And if the worst happens…I know I’ll never be forgotten.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
AJ
Grace snuggles closer, cheek pressed against my chest, her hair a tangle under my chin. I don’t dare move. Not when everything we’ve worked so hard to reclaim could be ripped away from us tomorrow.
I trace patterns along her shoulder blade. God, her skin is so soft. Delicate. The scars under my fingers remind me of what she’s endured. How much she’s already lost. Three goddamn years. Three years of smiles. Of laughter. Of freedom.
Yet somehow, she fought her way back. To me. To herself.
I press my lips to the crown of her head, breathing her in like I can memorize the shape of her soul. She smells like gardenia and graphite and jasmine—like home. My home.
What if I never wake up like this again? To the weight of her body pressed against mine. To the way her heartbeat stutters when she dreams. To the quiet sighs she makes when she finally succumbs to sleep.
I squeeze my eyes shut, fear clawing its way up my throat. I want to believe I’m strong enough to carry her through this storm. But I’m not. I lost her once. If I lose her again, I won’t survive.
Grace’s lashes flutter, and I brush my thumb along her temple. “Mornin’, darlin’. You want me to bring you some coffee? Or should we stay in bed for a while?”
“Mmm. Bed. Then coffee. Then more bed.”
I chuckle, but the sound is rough as I wrap my arms around her. If it were up to me, we’d stay here forever. Avoiding the world and pretending nothing—and no one—would ever tear us apart again.
But as soon as we get up, I know that’s not an option. Her hands shake, and she braces herself against the wall every few steps.
Still, she insists on helping with breakfast. And even though she burns the first two slices of bacon, I declare them the best I’ve ever had.
After the dishes are done, Belle drops her leash at my feet, her tail wagging like she just knows today’s a day the women of this house can have anything they want.
Then again, how is that different from any other day? Grace could ask me for the moon and I’d find a way to lasso it out of the night sky.
I kneel in front of Belle, running my hand over the top of her head. “Not today, girl. Your mama needs to rest.”
“AJ…” Grace wobbles to her feet from her spot on the couch. “It’s warm outside. I want to feel the sun on my cheeks. And walk our dog. Together.”
She takes it slow, refusing the walker but hanging onto my arm. Belle runs circles around us, dropping the tennis ball at my feet time and time again as we wander down to the edge of the lake and then back up to the house.
The promise of spring is in the air. And for a short time, the world doesn’t feel like it’s on fire.
“Our girl ain’t gonna know what to do if you have to stay in the hospital for a few days,” I say, keeping my tone light. Even teasing. “She’ll probably go on a hunger strike.”
Grace shifts closer, resting her head on my shoulder. “She loves you too, AJ.”
I nod and press a kiss to the top of her head. Grace isn’t wrong. Belle does love me. But she looks for Grace when the house gets too quiet. She sits at Grace’s side in the studio, ready to defend her against anything—even her own memories. She sleeps with her nose tucked against Grace’s foot. Like if they aren’t touchin’, Grace will just…disappear. Again.
The truth hits, harder and faster than any bullet. I’m not afraid of Grace being in the hospital for a few days. I’m fucking terrified she won’t come home at all.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
