I’m pretty sure she’s trying to provoke me by bringing up her ex-boyfriend, and I wait to feel even a smidgen of the possessive surge I felt when I thought about Ames with Auden.
But I don’t.
And that just confirms—not that I needed it—that I’m doing the right thing.
“Our differences wouldn’t matter if we wanted the same things for our future, but we don’t. You’re a wonderful person, Lissa?—”
Her eyes well up. “Please. Don’t pretend to care?—”
“It’s not pretend. I care that you’re hurt. I care very much thatI’mhurting you. But be honest, Liss. Are you happy? Really?”
She opens her mouth, then closes it and lets out a shuddering breath. “I don’t know,” she whispers.
I nod a little because that confusion, that feeling that your whole life’s been thrown in the air and twisted around… I get it. I wasinit, just a few days ago.
Hell, I’m still in it. I know what I want, but that doesn’t mean I’ll get to have it.
After talking for a few more minutes, we finally say our goodbyes. Lissa leans up to press a kiss on my cheek before turning and walking down the porch steps without looking back. I watch her get in her car and drive away, and I continue to sit there.
It’s another pretty spring day—sunny and a little cool with the breeze—and up and down the sides of the path, smooth green leaves have begun spearing up from the ground.
Eventually, I go inside and shut the door. I lean back against it and blow out a breath… when suddenly, Ames appears in the doorway.
“What the fuck?” I demand. “Are you okay? Do you need something?”
He looks like he’s survived a small war, getting his walking boot on and getting out here from the bedroom. I’m honestly not sure how he heaved himself out of bed in the first place.
Ames shakes his head and stares back at me defiantly. “I had my window open and I heard voices—yourvoice. You sounded upset. And I thought… I dunno, maybe there was an emergency. But then it took five full minutes to get upright, so.” His face turns red, but he looks me over anyway. “Is everything okay?”
I take in his concerned blue eyes. The stubble on his jaw. The way he’s holding himself carefully, but he’s still freaking here. For me. As always.
“I’m good, Ames,” I tell him. “I’m better than ever.”
Because for the first time, I’m not compromising.
I’m choosing what’ll make me happy.
I’m choosinghim.Even though I know he’s not quite ready to hear it.
Ames nods once. “Then maybe, if you’re free, you could help me back to bed?”
“Yeah,” I say softly, wrapping an arm around his waist and feeling a deep sense of rightness about it. “I can definitely do that.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AMES
It’s been nearlya week of domestic bliss at Robbie’s house while I recover from my injuries, and I’m officially losing my goddamn mind.
Don’t get me wrong, Robbie’s been amazing. But that’s the problem.
His workaholic ass took two weeks’ leave to play nurse, which I still can’t believe.
He went to my apartment and packed my stuff—including Hippyottermus, which I didn’t ask him to get but he knew I’d want.
He’s been talking with Jana daily so he can reassure me everything at Watchfire’s going great without me getting involved directly—which I have to admit was probably the right call. Otherwise, I’d try to micromanage every menu, schedule, invoice, inventory, and delivery, and end up pissing Jana off since she knows how to run my place as well as I do.
He cooks something new for dinner every night and makes a whole production out of having me pick anumber at random from the Recipes Ames Will Like list on his Notes app—which simultaneously makes me feel like a toddler who needs to be managed and like the most exalted royalty.
