Page 101 of Never Your Valentine

It hits me hard and fast. How wrong I’ve been. About everything.

My whole adult life, I’ve been searching for romantic love, thinking that was the be-all and end-all. If I found my soulmate, I’d feel like my other half had made me whole. But that’s not what I need. At least, that’s not all I need. Do I want a partner? Yes, of course. But that’s not as important as the love of friends, and family, and community.

I tried to make Grant give me what I wanted, never realizing that I already had it. I had all the love I needed, right there for the taking.

“I left,” I tell Kat. “I didn’t just leave him. I left all of it. And now I…I mean… Ann Arbor is where I grew up. I have friends here. I have you. But it’s not…”

“It’s not what?”

“Home.” The word blossoms in my chest. It’s so much more than a place. It’s a feeling. It’s where I lost my heart, but I can find it again. Because it’s in the safe keeping of the man I love.

I can say it now. I love Grant. And I know he can’t say it back, but he can show it. He can carry a desk up twenty-three stairs. He can tell me secrets while doing dishes. He can make pancakes. He can give me the courage to follow my dreams, no matter where those dreams take me.

He claims he doesn’t feel love, but he sure acts like a man who does.

“Are you done pretending?” Kat asks. “Because you could be up there before dinner time.”

“I don’t have a car,” I say.

“There’s an Enterprise over on Washtenaw. They’ll let you book one-way.”

“I hate that you know that.”

She shrugs. “I’ve dated chaos.”

Something snaps into place and I’m on my feet. I need to pack. I came to Ann Arbor directly from California and I’ve only got one suitcase. Everything else is in my apartment on Elk Street. I can’t wait to get back to it. Back to him. I could call Grant. I know he’d pick up. But I’ll call him on the way.

“I’ll give you a ride to the car rental place on my way to work,” Kat says while I’m in the bathroom throwing makeup brushes into my bag. “And please take my extra flat iron.”

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“You need it more than I do.”

“Thank you.” I wheel my suitcase out to the living room and grab my jacket. “For everything.”

Kat pulls me into a tight hug.

“I hear the U.P. is beautiful in the summer,” I say.

“I’ll see it for myself.” She gives me one last squeeze. “When I come visit.”

“Can’t wait.”

I put my jacket on and fling open the door.

Grant is standing on the other side of it, his hand lifted to knock.

Chapter 42

Grant

This is the right address. I fought through snarled traffic and confusing one-way streets to find the place where Annabelle is staying. It’s a small ranch on Ann Arbor’s west side, across the street from an elementary school. There’s a crack on the cement slab that serves as the front porch. The door is painted dark green. Annabelle’s on the other side of that door. All I need to do is knock.

But before I can, the door flings open, and she’s there. All five foot two, blue-eyed wonderfulness of her. She’s changed her hair. It’s shorter and also brighter. Her expression is bright too, like she’s happy to see me, and my heart tries to flutter out of my chest. Maybe this will work.

This has to work.

“What are you doing here?” she asks. “Are you…chasing me?”