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Her fingers curl into the fabric of my sweatshirt, gripping hard.

When she finally pulls back, her eyes are glassy, and her lips tremble. “I got laid off.”

Fuck.

My chest tightens. “What happened?”

She swallows. “My company’s downsizing. Corporate restructuring or whatever they want to call it. I got an email this morning. Effective immediately. No notice. No severance. Just… gone.”

Rage flickers through me, hot and fast.

She’s not just some name on a spreadsheet. She’s brilliant, creative, and loyal as hell. How could they treat her like that? Like she doesn’t matter?

“Jesus, Blake,” I mutter, reaching for her again. “I’m so sorry.”

She lets me hold her for another beat before pulling away and moving toward the couch. She sinks into the cushions like they’re the only things keeping her upright.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she says, her voice hollow. “Rent… bills… groceries. I barely have any savings.”

I sit beside her, not touching her yet, just letting her talk.

“I was already struggling to stay motivated at work, but at least it was steady. I never thought they’d cut me loose like that.”

“You don’t have to figure it all out right now.”

“But I do,” she whispers. “I have no one to fall back on. I’ve always taken care of myself, Luca. I’ve had to.”

My hand finds hers, warm and trembling. “You don’t have to do it alone anymore. Move in with me.”

She looks up, startled. “What?”

“Come live with me. The house has plenty of space. You don’t need to stress about rent or bills. Just… be with me.”

She blinks. “That’s huge. We haven’t even been together that long. Isn’t this moving too fast?”

“No,” I say without hesitation. “It feels fast because it is. But it also feels right. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

She studies me for a long second. “You’re serious.”

“Dead serious. I love you, Blake.”

Her eyes go wide. “You… what?”

I scoot closer. “I love you. I’m in love with you. I think I fell the second you beat me in that sandwich race. And every day since, it’s only gotten stronger. You’re funny and smart and stubborn and brave. And the thought of you crying alone makes me want to burn down your whole damn company.”

She lets out a shaky laugh, tears shining in her green eyes. “You mean that?”

“Every word. I love you. So damn much.”

She bursts into tears again.

I pull her into my arms again, and she doesn’t fight me. She wraps around me like I’m the only steady thing left in her world.

“I love you, too,” she whispers. “I think I have since our third bet.”

That earns a grin from me. “Took you long enough.”

She laughs wetly, pulling back and swiping at her eyes. “Okay. Say I move in. What do I do for work? I still need something to pay the bills.”