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His words whirled in my head, slowly clicking into place. “You did it for me?”
“Sid, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.” His hands tightened, and he gave me a little shake, his excitement visible in the way his face lit up. “When we have kids, you better fucking believe they will be my top priority. We both have years left to build our careers. But Sidney, when you’re ready to start a family, I’ll be right there with you. It’s not a sacrifice to love you. It’s a fucking privilege.”
My lungs filled with a shocked breath.When we have kids.
He gave me a sheepish smile, realizing what he’d just said.“That’s… if you want kids.” He stroked his thumb over my cheek in a soothing motion, catching the tears I didn’t know were falling.
It took a second to process everything he’d just said. He wasn’t leaving me. He was prioritizing me. He was never going to be like my dad. He was moving to Ottawa.
“You want to move here with me?” My voice was whisper-quiet, and his arms wrapped around my waist.
“Hell yes, I do. I don’t know how you ever doubted that,” he answered in a clear voice.
“You don’t care that you won’t be playing for Boston?”
He barked out a laugh. “Not for a fucking second.” His hand cupped the back of my neck, tilting my head up. “Will you give us a real chance, Sid? I know you’re afraid I’ll end up like your dad, but I can promise you I will spend every day proving that wrong. Before you know it, it’ll be a distant worry you won’t think about, but you have to let me prove it. I won’t leave you. I will always put you first. Put our life together first.”
“Our life.” I mouthed the words.
“I meant all of it when I told you I love you, but I didn’t realize that you might not know what love really means. What it can be. It’s not just a feeling. It’s the importance we put on that person. Love is caring about what the other person needs, and I fucking do. You matter to me.”
A hiccup escaped as I cried, and his head lowered, leaning his forehead on mine. “You’re worth it. You’re worth more. We won’t regret this.” I watched as his chest expanded with a big breath of air, and he hesitated before asking, “Am I worth it, Sid?”
Jax’s face was shuttered, trying not to influence my decision. His worry shifted to hope when my arms circled around him.
“You are,” I promised.
A smile stretched across his face, and he picked me up, swinging us in a circle. An overwhelming feeling of home settled over me. This was where I belonged. I couldn’t believe I thought I could live without him. When he came to a stop and slid me to the ground, I grabbed his cheeks in my hands and tugged him down until his eyes were level with mine. They burned with tears, but I smiled so wide it hurt my cheeks. “I love you, Jaxton Ryder.”
His mouth crashed over mine as his arms wrapped tight around me. “God, I’ve thought of hearing that again a million times, but nothing’s as sweet as you saying it.” His fingers smoothed the hair from my face. “Say it again.”
“I love you.”
JAX
I ran my fingers through Sid’s hair, listening to her deep breaths where she was laid out across me. We hadn’t left her apartment all weekend, spending every second catching up on the last few months. The time apart had left us both insatiable; I doubted there was an inch of this apartment that I hadn’t had her pinned against. Her arms tightened around me, and she mumbled something into my chest.
She better hold on because I was never letting go.
THIRTY-NINE
FOUR YEARS LATER
SIDNEY
Jax’s faceappeared on my phone screen, his broad smile showing off his dimples. “Hey, babe, you look beautiful.”
“You can barely see my face.” My voice was full of laughter.
“I don’t need to. I know.” His grin turned wicked, and I had to fight back my blush.
Running around our house, I asked him about the city he was in as I grabbed my purse and jacket, late to meet Mia. Today, we were celebrating my decision to run in an election. Surprisingly, Jax didn’t say much about it, but he did send me a bouquet every day since I’d made the decision. The last four years had had their ups and downs, but he never broke his promise. We made time for each other despite our busy careers, and he was always there for me, even when he was out of town. Sharing moments like this over FaceTime was an adjustment, but it worked, and he was worth it.
A knock sounded on the door. Shit, I was already going to be late. “Coming.”
Jax watched me from the screen, but I couldn’t make out where he was with the camera so close to his face. “I’ve got to get this. Hold on.”
I pulled the door open and was immediately swung up in strong, muscled arms.
Warmth filled my chest, and tears pooled in my eyes as laughter burst from me. “You’re here.”
“Always.” He kissed me softly before pulling back. “I wouldn’t miss this for the fucking world.”
Joy flashed through me. “I love you, Jax.”
“I fucking love you, and I’ll keep proving to you that you’ll always be worth it.”
