Page 62 of Want You

“They moved the cottage to be closer to the lake?” Nathan confirmed.

“Yes. Or further away.”

“I think I’d prefer to find a place that is the perfect distance already rather than having to move it.”

“Well, let’s hope that the next place offers that.”

The next place did not. Nor did the fourth. The fifth however…

“What do you think?” Nathan asked quietly while they stood alone on the deck that hung over the water.

Octavia looked around, squinting as she peered into the distance, loving that she couldn’t see another cottage. They were set back in a cove, making the property seem far more private than anything else they’d looked at.

The cottage itself had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open concept living space, and a screened-in porch she could imagine playing games in.

Things were modern enough without making it feel like a downtown condo and a boathouse offered another guest space.

She smiled up at him, wrapping an arm around his arm as she snuggled closer, partly to escape the wind that had picked up, but mainly because she liked when his body was pressed against hers.

“I think it’s perfect.”

Nathan nodded before squinting out at the frozen lake below them. “I could definitely see us here.”

Us. He could see “us” here. Because he adores me, she thought.

CHAPTER 31

NATHAN

With each property they looked at, Octavia became more and more vocal about what she liked and disliked about each place, and Nathan quickly became aware that he valued her opinion over his own. Until the last place. That’s when he stood silently, waiting for Octavia to give her opinion and worrying she’d feel differently about the cottage than he did. When she said she thought it was perfect, he felt the same kind of relief he had when she’d agreed to give them a real chance.

He could so easily picture them there. Even without being able to see the dock, he could see them lounging on it or floating around the cove, just the two of them or with a handful of friends or family around.

It was so different from either of their homes—it felt cozy and lived in. Most of all, it felt right, and Nathan had wanted it from the minute they’d driven up the laneway.

“I think I’m going to do it,” Nathan said while they sat on the floor across the coffee table from one another putting together a puzzle, the fire crackling behind him.

She looked up from the puzzle, shadows dancing across her beautiful face. “I think that’s a good idea.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She snapped a piece into place and then sat back against the couch, suddenly looking conflicted. “I think I’m going to quit.”

Nathan looked down at the puzzle they’d nearly completed and then back at her. “I mean, we’re nearly done. Are you sure?”

“My job. The firm. I think I need to quit.”

Nathan set down the puzzle piece he was holding and slid around the table to sit next to her. “Why now?”

“Aside from you, it’s all I think about. Stop it,” she warned when he made a noise of approval. “I’m serious. I do this job where my main purpose is to protect rich assholes who only care about staying rich. I’m happy outside of work. I don’t think I realized how much I didn’t like what I did until I was happy away from the office. And then everything that is happening now makes me want to do something better with my degree. I want to help to make meaningful change for real people dealing with real problems.”

Nathan wanted to write her a blank cheque immediately, but he knew she would never go for that, and he didn’t actually have any cheques.

“So, say you resign next Monday, what are your next steps?” he asked instead of throwing money at the conundrum.

Octavia tipped her head back against the couch and sighed. “I don’t know. That’s the problem. I need to do a lot of work to prepare for a different practice. I can’t just decide to become a personal lawyer—I have to study and ensure I’ve completed the relevant courses so I have the right competencies. It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be an overnight change. I would probably stay at my current job for a b⁠—”

“Don’t,” Nathan interrupted quietly.