I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “Really good.”
“Yeah?” she presses, her eyebrow raised. “Are you going to tell me what that means?”
“We’re together,” I say, beaming. “I know you kept telling me to talk to him, but I kept chickening out. Then I finally worked up the nerve to ask one simple question, and everything changed. He didn’t hold back.” I can’t help but get choked up. “He loves me.”
It’s a good thing we’re still parked because tears quickly gather in her eyes. She squeezes my hand, smiling through them.
“Oh, Jayson, I’m so happy for you. I knew you two were meant to find your way back to each other. You deserve this.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, my voice thick. “I really am happy. I just hope we can figure out the logistics. Even though he’s in Oregon, he’s still too far away.”
“You’ll figure it out. Just give it time.”
She drops me off, and I head up to my apartment. The silence hits hard. After days of being together constantly, the space feels hollow.
Over the following days, we text all the time and talk at night, but it’s not the same. We’ve only truly been together for less than a week, yet it already feels like I’ve left a piece of myself behind.
Work fills the hours, but not the emptiness. The new project is demanding, and being surrounded by people all day only drains me more.
The nights are the worst—quiet, lonely, and haunted by old voices telling me I’m not enough. That Aiden will come to his senses, and he’ll realize he deserves someone sexier, simpler, and less complicated.
By Wednesday morning, I’m running on fumes. The day hasn’t even started, and I’m already exhausted. Maybe this weekend we’ll talk about what our future looks like.
Chapter 23
Aiden
It’s only been three days since Jay returned to Portland, and I’m going out of my mind. I’ve done everything I can to stay distracted—boxes unpacked, kitchen organized, and my office is set up—but it’s not helping to calm my frayed nerves.
This morning, I met with Hannah, the coffee shop’s manager, and we devised a plan for the upcoming changes I want to make. She’s excited about my ideas and has plenty of her own, so we’re ready to implement them.
Having managed the shop for five years, she’s capable of running things smoothly, which allows me to work behind the scenes without getting too involved in the day-to-day.
With that out of the way, I’m sitting in my new office on the first floor of my building, setting up my real estate website, but I can’t concentrate. I haven’t been sleeping well because, in the short time Jay and I were on the road together, I got used to his warm body pressed against mine at night. I miss him like crazy, and I physically ache to hold him.
This is ridiculous. I didn’t move across the country just for weekend visits and stolen moments we sneak in between our busy schedules. I want all day, every day—kissing him goodnight andwaking up with him every morning kind of shit. That’s what I uprooted my life for.
I know what I want and what I need to do.
Packing an overnight bag, I ask Hannah to check on the cats, set out, and head east. I arrive in Portland by early afternoon, passing the time until Jay gets off work by shopping for a few things for the apartment. I’m just finishing at the last store when my phone vibrates.
Jay: Heading home for the night. Call you soon. Love you.
Aiden: Sounds good. Love you too.
I know his routine. He’ll get home, relax on the couch, and heat one of those sad prepackaged meals he insists are fine. But I have a better idea. I stop by his favorite Thai restaurant, pick up his usuals, and pull into his apartment complex right as he calls.
“Hey, baby,” I answer, already climbing the stairs to his place. “How was your day?”
“Same as yesterday. Busy. What about you?”
“Nothing too crazy, but I miss you.”
I can’t wait to see his face when he opens the door. I’m sure he’ll forgive me for this surprise.
“I miss you too,” his voice softens. “What should we do this weekend? I was thinking…oh, hang on, someone’s at the door.”
I know he’ll check the peephole before opening, so I flash my biggest smile. I’m bouncing on my heels, waiting. When he finallyopens the door, he stares at me, then at his phone, then back at me, blinking in disbelief.
