Page 65 of Bear and Book

Leo locked the front door for me, then pulled his phone from his pocket. He typed quickly, thumbs moving with uncharacteristic focus. A minute later, it buzzed with a reply, and his shoulders eased.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I asked Cassian to check something for me,” Leo said.

At my raised brow, Leo continued, “Jason. I didn’t want you wondering if he’s lurking around somewhere. Cass caught sight of him at the bus station. He got on a Greyhound headed south.”

For a moment I just stared, the words sinking in like water into parched ground. “He’s really gone?”

“Really gone,” Leo confirmed. His voice was steady, reassuring, but not condescending.

Leo wasn’t treating me like I was fragile glass. He was just giving me the truth.

The knot in my chest finally loosened all the way. I sat heavily on the nearest chair, burying my face in my hands. Relief crashed through me so hard it left me trembling all over again.

Leo knelt beside me, his hand settling gently on my knee.

“You don’t ever have to see him again. You don’t ever have to hear his voice. That chapter is closed, Elias. You closed it yourself,” he pointed out.

Tears stung my eyes, unexpected and hot.

“I…” My voice cracked, and I shook my head, trying to gather the words. “I always thought I’d always feel like he could just appear and pull the rug out from under me. Like I’d never be free of him.”

“You’re free,” Leo said firmly. Then softer, “And I’m so damn proud of you.”

The word proud did something to me I wasn’t prepared for. My throat tightened until all I could manage was a nod. We closed the shop together in quiet companionship.

Leo stacked the chairs, I gathered receipts, and the rhythm of it soothed me more than I could have guessed. When we finally stepped outside into the cool evening air, Leo laced his fingers through mine.

The simple gesture made me stop. My instinct was to pull away, to hide the intimacy from the world. But I didn’t. Not this time. I let my hand rest in his, warm and solid, and felt something inside me shift.

We walked back toward my apartment that way, side by side.

The town was peaceful, the shop windows glowing with lamplight, the scent of barbecues drifting faintly from somewhere down the street. For once, the quiet wasn’t heavy. It was comfortable.

Halfway home, Leo squeezed my hand lightly. “You don’t have to answer if you’re not ready, but how do you feel?”

I thought about lying. Saying I felt fine, or relieved, or some other neat, contained word. But honesty had carried me this far today. I didn’t want to ruin it with pretense.

“Terrified,” I admitted. The word came out small, but real. “I’m terrified, Leo. Of what being with you means. Of being your mate.”

I felt him tense, but when I looked up, his expression wasn’t wounded. He was listening, patient.

I forced myself to keep going. “You’re more than I ever thought I’d deserve. You’re kind, and strong, and so open with your heart, and I don’t know if I can give you enough. I don’t know if I can be enough.”

Leo stopped walking and turned to face me fully, his hands coming to rest on my shoulders. “Elias, look at me.”

I did. Slowly.

“You don’t have to be enough,” Leo said. “You don’t have to prove anything. You don’t have to match me measure for measure. Being mates doesn’t mean being perfect. It just means choosing each other, over and over, no matter what.”

His earnest gaze made my chest ache all over again.

“But what if I mess it up?” I whispered.

“Then we fix it together,” Leo said simply. “That’s what partnership means.”

My throat closed. No one had ever said it like that to me before. No one had ever offered me that kind of constancy, not even when I thought Jason loved me.