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My world shifts as though something finally clicks into place, sending my heart racing.
I knew. I knew she loved me, but hearing it…fuck. “I’m so fucking in love with you. Come here.”
Crawling into my lap, Willow sinks her hands into my hair and smiles as her eyes continue to glisten. “I’m in love with you too.”
Chapter Forty
Willow
Myshoesinksintomud as I leap to the edge of the water, but it doesn’t matter. The view on this side of the stream is worth it. There are only two places you can safely see the horizon on this part of Mt. Beauty, and this one tells me we’re halfway.
Jade sighs from behind me, her patience running thin today. Not that she’ll talk to me about it. “Why are you so slow?” she cries out in frustration.
“We come here all the time. Why areyouin such a hurry? What’s different about today?”
She ignores me and keeps walking, not even bothering to check if I’m following.
“God, what’s your problem?” I grumble, mostly to myself since she’s too far away to hear me. But when I catch up, she’s getting a piece of my mind.
I wake with a start to find Jesse’s side of the bed empty and light streaming under the bathroom door.
My heart races as I try to calm my breathing. Another nightmare, only this time I know it’s not real because I never would have snapped at Jade like that.Never. It’s just my stupid conscience wanting me to feel bad now that I know the truth.
I sit up groggily and call out, but he can’t hear me over the running water.
Throwing one of his tees over my head, I walk toward the room and knock on the door, cautiously entering when I don’t get a response.
“Jesse,” I call out again with my eyes closed. “Is it okay if I come in?” I normally wouldn’t be worried about surprising him, but since a big part of his trauma took place in a bathroom, I don’t want to surprise him in here.
Jesse chuckles as the shower door opens, but before I’ve had a chance to look, a wet arm wraps around me as he pulls me into his hold. “Whatcha doin’, Buttercup?” He laughs.
“I just…” I don’t know what to say, but all it takes is for him to look into my somber eyes and he knows.
“Thank you.” He smiles softly. “But I’m fine. Bathrooms hold much more positive memories for me now,” he says with a wink, making me blush.
“Okay. I…ah…had another dream,” I say, changing the subject.
Jesse pauses with his hand in the air as he reaches for a towel. “And?”
“They’re definitely nightmares. I should have known.”
“I’m sorry, Willow. I really wish that hadn’t been the case.”
“I don’t. I’m okay with it. It’s just going to take a bit of getting used to. But I’m ready for New York. What are our plans?”
Jesse ponders that for a second before listing off his ideas. “Rockefeller Center. Magnolia Bakery. Central Park. Brooklyn Bridge. The High Line. Empire State Building. And…one more thing.”
I bark out a laugh. “There is no way we are going to fit all that in. We only have the day.”
“Care to wager on that?”
Huh?“Jesse Hastings, I didn’t know you were a gambling man.”
“I’m usually not.” He chuckles. “But I’d love to get something from you.”
“Okay, if I win, I get a full box of cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery. If we get there.” I laugh.
“Come on, aim higher. You’ve got the world.”
