Page 100 of Forced Proximity

Holy shit. That just happened. I stare at the screen to confirm she did, in fact, hang up. A solid several minutes pass before I can process my emotions. But soon, a heaviness lifts off my chest. Years of me holding in this anger, wishing my mom was someone different, feeling guilty that maybe I caused this, and it’s done.

I set the phone on the counter and exhale. A stillness overwhelms me, lifting the last of this weight that had been holding me down. I grab the phone and dial Lexi.

‘Hey,’ she says with a heavy breath. ‘You good?’

I’m more than good. I’m free.

‘Yeah. I changed my mind about not running with you,’ I say. ‘You want to head back here, and I’ll join you?’

‘Yep. On my way.’

When I hang up, I glance across the kitchen. Who knew when I walked into this room all those months ago and saw Lexi sitting on the same chair that I’m now sitting on, that my life would fundamentally change.

I rise from the chair and can’t contain my smile.

Time to start the rest of my life.

Epilogue Two Years Later

Lexi

On the patio, I scoot a little lower under the umbrella to shade my face from the sun and flip to the next page of my murder mystery book. Two days left before I go back to work after a few weeks off, and I’m soaking up the relaxation as much as possible. The patio door slides open, and Justin steps out after saying the world’s longest goodbye to Mia. After chatting earlier for over an hour with Zane – who’s finally taking that Portugal vacation they’ve always wanted to – I think my husband’s been on the phone today more than off.

My husband. Swoon.

When he finally hangs up, he crosses the deck and hands me a lemonade.

Marrying Justin is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Marrying a person who cooks and makes fresh lemonade – bonus.

‘Why does the vision of you reading a book kill me?’ he says, pulling up a chair in front of me.

‘Hmmm,’ I say, taking a hefty gulp of the tangy drink. ‘Should I be insulted?’

He scoops my legs onto his lap and brushes his hands across my calves. I’m completely insatiable. His touch sends a shiver up my back, and I think of all the delicious ways he can use those hands on me. Two years after we got together, and still every brush of his finger, tongue, hand, anything, makes me want him more.

‘Let me clarify,’ he says. ‘I’m not surprised you’re reading. I just thought you’d be reading gun manuals or something equally as boring.’

‘You’re an ass.’ I scowl, withholding the fact that the last book I read was, in fact, a firearm manual.

His hands slide from outside my calves to inside, his thumbs graze past my knees and work their way up my inner thighs.

‘How’s Mia?’ I ask.

‘Buzzkill.’ He drops his hands and reaches for the lemonade. ‘You cannot bring up my sister when I’m trying to get dirty.’

‘That’s what you get for being mean.’

He scowls. ‘She’s good. Close to settling on dates for a visit. But she was just promoted to manager at the coffee shop and needs to work through some training issues. And it sounds like with her girlfriend’s pre-med exams, she was stressing out about coming on this trip.’ He leans back on the chair. ‘My money is more on Mia not wanting to leave her girlfriend and less on her not wanting to take off from work.’

Now that I’ve found this – with Justin – I understand that sentiment. When I was with Katey, I loved her, of course. She was my everything. But it didn’t feel like this. Nothing has ever felt like this. In the past, I was fine being whisked across the country away from Katey and only seeing each other a few days a week. But now, being with Justin every second this last month is still not enough. I miss him when he’s sitting right next to me.

‘Hey, what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?’

‘I’m so nervous about this afternoon,’ I say, tossing the book on the table. ‘What if they hate me? What if they think I’m the worst choice in the world, and laugh me out of the room?’

Justin brings me into his chest, and I melt against his embrace. ‘Hey, hey. You’re ready. We’re ready. And they’re going to fucking love you.’

God, I hope so.