“But you weren’t. Mom said you left for California and hadn’t been home, and I couldn’t blame you.”
A heavy silence stretches between us.
“Sometimes I feel like everyone I get close to leaves,” he admits brokenly.
“I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere, J. Not now, not again. I survived and came back.”
He swallows hard. Emotion radiates from him, in his voice, in his words, in the tightness of his grip on my hand.
“And so did you,” I add. “In different ways, we both survived and came home. This, right here, it’s where we're supposed to be.”
“I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” I tell him. “Not like before. I promise.”
His arms tighten around me, pulling me flush against him like he’s memorizing the feel of me, proof that I’m real and choosing him.
The thing is, I’d choose Jett Riggsby a million times, in each lifetime. No matter how much pain our past brought, it’s always been him. The scars of yesterday built who we are, and while I loved him at eighteen, I've never been more in love than I am with the version of him right now, in this bed with me, scars and all. When I tell him he’s it for me, I’m saying it with mywhole heart. I don’t believe we’re put on this earth to handle more than we can stand. While there were many times I felt like I was drowning, like I couldn't handle anything else life had to offer, I knew if I had a chance to be with this man again, I’d take it. A thousand times over.
“We fought different wars, but we both came out on top.”
“You think so?” he asks.
“I know so. We’re still standing. Still breathing. And still fighting.”
He kisses my temple. “I’ll fight a thousand battles as long as you’re by my side.”
I settle against him again, my hand returning to his chest, tracing slow, loving lines as he grips me tighter.
I feel the love emanating from his touch, and I hope he can feel mine for him.
As I close my eyes, I let my body relax. For the first time in a long time, I’m not afraid of the dark. The quiet isn’t lonely.
It feels like peace. Hope for a better future. A future filled with love and happiness.
And the promise of better days ahead.
Chapter 31
Wren
“Ineededthis.”
On a breath, the words leave me, barely louder than the lap of water against the side of the boat. My face tilts toward the sky, eyes closed, sunglasses abandoned somewhere near my hip. The sun warms my cheeks like it knows how badly I needed to be here.
A strong arm snakes over my shoulder as warm lips land on my temple.
“You did,” Jett whispers.
“You’re one to talk. When was the last time you took a break?”
Jett huffs a laugh. “Fair point.”
The lake smells like summer, gasoline, and sunscreen. The perfect mixture for a hot, sunny day. Country music hums through the speakers as Baker sings along with the familiar tune.
I lean into Jett’s side, falling into our familiar connection. Our bare skin meets—his shirtless chest and my exposed skin from my barely-there bikini—and it ignites a flame deep inside me.
The boat drifts lazily as we coast through the water toward our anchoring spot at Boater’s Beach—a shallow inlet where boats anchor to the sandy bottom. It’s a popular spot in the summer, with most boaters parking to swim, relax, and visit with fellow boaters. Throughout the summer, a semi-pontoonmakes its appearance with local bands playing. On those days, you’ll easily see a hundred and fifty boats tied together, enjoying the beach party.
