My eyes narrow. “Please tell me it’s not your mother.”
Harrison laughs softly. “No. A certain friend of ours called me when she got done with her shift at Jo Jo’s and insisted I let her come over so she could yell at me. She has flat-out refused to leave my apartment until we’d sorted things out. You’ll never guess who.”
“Please tell me it’s not Rose.”
“Nope. The other employee.”
“JO!” I yelp. “We need to go update her immediately.” I give him another kiss before jumping out of his lap, grabbing Raya’s carrier, and dragging him through the door.
“Someone’s in a rush to update their best friend.”
“Someoneis in a rush to update their best friend so their best friend can leave and give us the apartment to ourselves.”
“You realize we could just go downstairs to your apartment?”
I shoot him a guilty look as we walk down the stairs. “I’d say we need to have a conversation about soundproofing, but I’mless concerned about it now.” Harrison raises an eyebrow in response but doesn’t ask. I have all the time in the world to fill him in later.
We get to his door, and before I open it, I reach out and brush a lock of hair out of his eyes. “I love you. I know I just said it, but I love you.” Raya squeaks from her crate, and I blow her a kiss. “And I love you, too, baby girl.”
Harrison laughs, bringing his forehead to mine. “And I love you the most,” he says.[*]
Skip Notes
*Soft smile · Raised eyebrows · Head tilted downward toward subject|Facial expression|Frequency: high
Love.
Epilogue
Four months later
Harrison’s eyes gaze at me from just a few inches away, his body pressed neatly against mine. I sink into the bed—his, not mine, because mine is still squeaky as hell—and take a deep breath.
Inhale.
Exhale.
“We don’t have to do this,” he says. “We’re in no rush.”
I know. But my physical therapy has been going well, and I’ve finally graduated to using Cobalt—
I know you have a sexy new partner now, but don’t forget about m—
I cut her off. I may continue to need her moving forward, but right now, I’m focused on something a little more real.
“I know we don’t have to,” I say. His eyes move from left to right, focusing on each of my eyes in turn. “But I want to.”
He nods, almost imperceptibly. “Can I be honest?”
I nod back.
“I’m scared,” he whispers.
I chuckle gently, feeling my abs press against his stomachwith each breath. “Sorry. It’s not funny. I know you’re serious. It’s just, I think I’m the one who’s supposed to feel scared right now.”
