I nodded; she’d told me that already.
“And I told you my parents helped me cover the rest.”
Again, I knew all this.
She inhaled slowly before breathing out. “What I didn’t tell you,” she continued, “was that my parents gave me everything they had. All of it. Their entire retirement savings.”
My breath caught.
“They did it for me,” she said quickly. “Because they trusted me.”
Jesus.
“It was when I tried to end things with Trevor before the wedding that I realized just how complicated walking away was really going to be.”
I frowned. “You still ran?—”
“I did.” She nodded. “But I hoped there might be a chance to fix things without blowing up everyone’s lives.”
“So…just now…”
“We lost everything,” she said, her words simple but devastating.
“Jess. But…you?—”
“It was the right thing to do, Preston.”
I nodded, but my heart ached for the load she’d been carrying alone. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to think it was about money.”
“God, Jess.” I grabbed her hands. “I don’t think that. How could I?”
Her eyes lifted to mine.
“Hell,” I continued. “When I saw you standing there, in the middle of an impossible situation, trying to hold it all together by yourself, all I could think of was the strong, brave, amazing woman you are.”
Her breath hitched.
I squeezed her hand. “But don’t ever think I could look at what you did tonight and see someone who would ever choose money over people. You chose the town. You chose what was right. Even when it cost you.”
She blinked fast, emotion shining in her eyes.
“I don’t know what comes next,” she said.
I leaned closer, resting my forehead against hers.
“Whatever it is, you don’t have to handle it alone,” I told her. “Not anymore.”
Her fingers tightened in mine.
“Thank you,” she said simply. “For always being there for me. Even when I don’t make it easy.”
I chuckled. “You never have to make it easy for me, Dots.” I pressed a kiss to her freckled nose, and her mouth curved into a small, real smile.
Whatever she was risking, I was in it with her.
And whatever came next, this was only the beginning.
