“He fought for us, Kaia. When Jax called, Owen didn’t back down. He didn’t try to minimize what we have or make excuses. He just told him the truth. That he loved me. That I was different.”
“He said that?”
“He said I was his everything.” The memory made my chest ache in the best way. “And I believe him. I know that sounds naive, and I know his history isn’t exactly reassuring, but I believe him. Because I’ve seen who he is when it’s just us. When there’s no one to perform for and that person...” I exhaled shakily. “That person is someone I want to build a life with.”
I could picture Kaia on the other end, probably curled up on the couch with a sleeping baby in her arms, processing everything I’d said.
“You really love him,” she finally said. Not a question.
“I really love him. More than I knew I could love anyone.”
More silence. Then, softly: “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay, I trust you. If you say he’s different with you, I believe you and Jax will come around eventually. Just give him time.” A pause. “And if Owen hurts you, Jax and I will make his life a living hell, but until then... I’m happy for you, Har. Really.”
More tears streamed down cheeks. “Thank you.”
“I love you. We’ll talk more when you get here, okay? Get some sleep.”
“I will. Love you too.”
I hung up and sat there for a moment, letting the tears fall, letting the relief wash over me. She understood. Or at least she was trying to understand, which was more than I could have hoped for.
The sliding door opened behind me.
I turned to see Owen stepping out onto the patio, his breath forming clouds in the cold air. He was wearing a black hoodie that I was definitely going to steal later, and sweatpants. Even now, even after everything, the sight of him made my heart do something embarrassing.
“Hey,” he said softly.
I stood, the blanket still wrapped around my shoulders like a cape. “Hey.”
“Does Kaia hate me?”
The vulnerability in his voice cracked something open in my chest. This man, who faced down Jax’s fury without flinching, who stood his ground and declared his love in the middle of a verbal assault, was now standing here worried about what my sister thought of him.
“No,” I said, stepping toward him. “She doesn’t hate you.”
He opened his arms, and I walked into them. His warmth enveloped me, and I pressed my face against his chest, breathing him in.
“She’s cautious,” I admitted, my voice muffled against his hoodie. “But she trusts me and is willing to give you a chance.” I hesitated. “She said Jax will come around.”
Owen’s arms tightened around me. “And if he doesn’t?”
“He will,” I said it with more confidence than I felt.
I tilted my head back to look at him. His face was half-shadowed in the dim light from the apartment, but I could see enough. The way his eyes softened when they met mine. Thesmile playing at the corner of his lips, despite the weight of everything hanging over us.
“How do you feel?” I asked. “Now that it’s out in the open?”
“I wish I had been the one to tell them,” he said. “On our terms. The way we planned.” A pause. “But also... I’m relieved that we don’t have to hide anymore. That we don’t have to worry about whether someone might see us together. That weight is just... gone.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “It is.”
Except now there’s a new weight. A secret Vegas wedding that no one knows about.
I pushed the thought away. We could worry about that later. After. When we were already married, and it was too late for anyone to talk us out of it.
