Page 317 of Safe With You

Elena laughing at him.

A life that existed long before I knew either of their names.

“It’s a good picture.”

“One of my favorites.”

I nodded.

And that was all.

I looked back at Elena.

He didn’t explain why the photograph was still here.

I didn’t need him to.

Elena was still here. In photographs. In Mila. In a story about Ellis almost falling while holding a camera.

And somehow, I didn’t feel like I was standing in her place.

I was standing in mine.

Ellis reached for my hand, his fingers sliding between mine without explanation or reassurance I had to ask for.

Just his hand around mine while Elena’s photograph stayed exactly where it belonged.

“Miss Luna.”

I turned.

Mila was holding up a piece of paper.

“Come see.”

“What’d you make?”

“You.”

I squeezed Ellis’s hand once before letting go.

Then I walked toward her.

I didn’t know exactly what I was becoming in their lives.

I didn’t think I needed to yet.

For now, I was here.

And for the first time, that felt like enough.

“You cheated.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

Mila looked up from the Uno cards in her hand like I’d personally offended her. “How?”