“The accident wasn’t my fault,” I say, the lump in my throat making it harder to speak. “But it still felt like it was. I survived, they didn’t, and that guilt . . . it consumed me. Losing the baby . . . it broke something in me. And after the accident, I couldn’t save Keane either. He was gone. And I . . . I could barely save myself.”
Haydn doesn’t speak. He just reaches out, his hand covering mine, grounding me in a way words never could. The tears comebefore I can stop them, warm trails slipping down my cheeks. I swipe at them quickly, refusing to let myself drown in the sadness. Not now. Not when I’m finally ready to let it go.
Haydn moves without hesitation, unbuckling his seat belt and closing the small space between us in a heartbeat. He kneels in front of me. “You don’t have to do this alone anymore,” he says. “You don’t have to carry this, Pia. Not with me by your side.”
My breath catches, and I meet his gaze, my chest tightening—not from pain, but from the sheer magnitude of what I feel for him. Love, deep and unrelenting, swells inside me, threatening to overflow. “I know,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “You’ve shown me that. Over and over again. I just . . . I should’ve let you in sooner.”
His thumb brushes across my knuckles, the simple motion a promise all on its own. His eyes glisten with unshed tears, and his voice is raw when he speaks. “I love you,” he says, the words steady and unwavering. “And I don’t care how messy it gets or how long it takes—I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. You and me, baby. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I love you too,” I manage, my voice breaking but full of conviction. “You’re my home, Haydn. You always have been.”
His hands cradle my face, his touch so gentle it makes my heart ache. When his lips meet mine, it’s not hurried or desperate. It’s slow, deliberate, filled with all the things we’ve fought through to get here and all the things we have yet to build. The kiss is a vow—a quiet, unspoken promise that we’re in this together.
When we finally pull back, his forehead rests gently against mine, and his breath is warm and steady against my skin. His hands stay cradling my face, like he’s afraid letting go might shatter something fragile between us. His eyes lock on mine, glistening with tears he doesn’t bother to hide.
“We’re not just okay, Pia,” he whispers, his voice low but trembling with emotion. “We’re better than that. We’re us. And no matter how many pieces we’ve had to pick up, no matter how much we’ve had to fight to get here—this? You and me? It’s worth every scar, every tear, every goddamn moment of doubt. Because you’re it for me. You always have been. You’re my forever.”
The words hit me like a wave, overwhelming and undeniable, and the dam inside me breaks. Tears spill freely, and I let them. Because he’s right. He’s always been right.
I reach for him, my hands clutching the lapels of his shirt like he’s the only thing keeping me from drifting away. My voice shakes as I respond, my heart so full it feels like it might burst. “I’ve been searching for so long, Haydn. Trying to make sense of everything, to find something that feels like solid ground. And it’s you. It’s always been you.”
He exhales a shaky breath, his lips brushing against my temple before he pulls back just enough to meet my gaze again. His thumb swipes gently at the tears on my cheeks, his touch so tender it almost undoes me all over again.
“I don’t want to be just solid ground,” he says, his voice thick but steady. “I want you. All of you, every day, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. Because you’re the reason I wake up every morning wanting to be better, to be more. For you. For us.”
I let out a soft laugh. “You’ve already given me more than I ever thought I deserved.”
“Then let’s stop looking back. Let’s build something new. Together.” When he kisses me again, it’s deeper this time, fuller, and I can feel the truth of his words in every movement, every breath.
I can feel it. I know—this is it.
This is love.
This is us.
Our forever.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Haydn
The door clicks shutbehind us, but I barely notice. The house could be on fire, and I wouldn’t care. My focus is entirely on her—on the way her breath hitches when my lips skim the curve of her neck, on the soft tremble that runs through her when I press closer. She’s been in my arms since we boarded the jet, and I still can’t get enough. I’ve forgotten what restraint feels like.
Her scent fills my senses, something soft and floral with a hint of sweetness that lingers on my tongue as I kiss her shoulder. The straps of her blouse slide down easily beneath my fingers, baring more of her smooth, golden skin. I kiss my way down her arm, tracing the line of muscle and softness, feeling the way her body melts into mine.
“You’re the most gorgeous woman in the world,” I murmur, my voice rough, barely more than a rasp. It’s the truth, spoken without hesitation. The way she shivers in response, her breath catching as my hands roam over her curves, only fuels the fire roaring inside me.
I cup her face and kiss her, tender at first, savoring the softness of her lips. But it isn’t enough. It never is. My tongue slides between her parted lips, and her soft moan sends a shockwave straight through me. My hands tangle in her curls, pulling her closer, needing more. Her hands grip my hair, fingers threading and holding me to her like she doesn’t want to let go.
What starts slow and steady quickly ignites into something frantic, desperate. Our kisses are greedy now, mouths crashing together like we’re starving for each other. Her nails graze the back of my neck, and the sting only heightens the tension coursing through me. I slide my hands lower, pressing her against me, and she arches into my touch like she was made to fit me.
The world fades away—the house, the quiet hum of the lake beyond the glass walls, even the sound of my own heartbeat. Nothing else matters except her. Nothing else ever could.
The urgency between us is electric, each kiss charged with a hunger that refuses to be sated. Pia is an addiction—one I can’t shake, wouldn’t shake even if I could. My hands move with purpose, sliding over her soft skin as we strip each other of every barrier. I need her like I need my next breath, and after today,there won’t be any turning back. She’ll be all I need—everything I’ll ever want.
Our kisses deepen, a desperate, consuming rhythm that feels as if we’re the only source of oxygen for each other. The world blurs around us, fading into irrelevance. It’s just us.
Her.
