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Once we were back at Piper’s, I helped Peyton into the living room and headed to the fridge for ice.
“There’s a note here from Piper,” I told her. “Staying at Bradley’s tonight.”
Peyton rolled her eyes. “So much for we’re just friends.”
I laughed. “Sounds right. Where’s Blaire?”
“She went to Ruidoso with her family for the weekend. They have a cabin in the mountains.”
“Going to be a good weekend to be there. Perfect snowboarding weather,” I told her as I came back over with an ice pack.
Without a word, I wrapped it around her knee and then went in search of medicine. She washed down some ibuprofen with water and finally rested back on the couch with a sigh.
“Looks pretty bad out there,” I said, peering through the windows at the snow.
“Do you need to get back to Aly?”
I rolled my eyes. “You know my mom’s fear of driving in snow. She told me not to move from where I’m at until it all clears.”
“But…you could probably make it before anything happens, and you’re in a truck. You know people drive in snow all over the US?”
“I know that. Tell that to my mom.”
Peyton laughed. “I sometimes forget your mom’s irrational fears.”
“She’s great, but…well, you know.”
“I do. Remember that time that we were supposed to go skiing in Santa Fe, but your mom was too worried it was going to snow?” She giggled again. “At the ski resort.”
I took a seat across from her with a grin. “I do remember that. God, that was so long ago.”
“It was,” she whispered.
So many memories between me and this beautiful woman. A lifetime of memories in those three years.
Today, I’d let myself get all caught up in the what-ifs that I hadn’t even talked to her. It had been a mistake. I wanted another lifetime of memories with her. Because when we were together, it was the only time that felt completely right in my life. I loved Aly with all my heart, but she was my kid, not my partner. And I hadn’t even realized how much I’d missed having one until Peyton stumbled back into my life.
“About today…”
She held up her hand and looked down at the ice pack on her knee. “It’s fine, Isaac. If you were with Aly and she needed you, then I get it.”
“It’s more than that. Aly was a struggle today, but…I’m falling for you all over again.”
Her head popped up in surprise. “Isaac…”
“I know that it’s only been a few weeks, and I know that you have to go back to New York. I know all of these things. And when we’re apart, I stress about them and worry that I’m making the wrong choice. But when we’re together, Peyton”—I moved to sit next to her, taking her hand—“the world is right.”
She swallowed. “I feel the same way.”
“I don’t know what we’re going to do. You’re leaving for New York in a week. Your job is there. Your life is there. I couldn’t ever ask you to give that up. I couldn’t do it when I had you when we were kids, and I’d never think to ask now.” I kissed her hand. “But I don’t want to walk away from this either.”
“Me neither,” she whispered. “But how…how is it even going to work?”
“We’ll figure it out,” I told her honestly. “If we want it to work, we’ll figure it out.”
“Okay,” she agreed hesitantly.
“I know it’s not going to be easy, but this…you are what I want, Peyton Medina.”
“Yes,” she said as I brought my lips to hers. “You’re what I want, too.”
“We have one more week. Let’s just take it one day at a time. After Christmas, we can figure out how to make this work.”
She nodded and brought her hand back up to my jaw, pulling me in for another kiss. “In the meantime,” she whispered against my lips, “we have the house to ourselves.”
“Your knee…”
She laughed. “Maybe I can try to be sexy after I finish icing.”
I drew her lips against mine one more time. “You’re always sexy. And I’m here to take care of you…anything else is just a bonus.”
“I’d like to take you up on that bonus.”
Fuck, I wasn’t just falling for this woman. I was in love with her. Unequivocally.
And I let the rest of my fears and consequences dissipate as she tossed the ice aside and drew me toward her. Who was I to deny her anything?22PeytonThe snow fell thick and heavy all night and through most of the day Saturday. And while this much snow wouldn’t have been a big deal in New York, Texas wasn’t equipped for it. To my dismay, we had to cancel the show Saturday night.
It ended up being a blessing in disguise since I needed the extra day of rest. Especially considering my…extracurricular activities with Isaac.
