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I waketo Harper’s body draped across mine. The faint scent of her skin fills my senses, and I cherish it. I replay every moment from last night, every whispered confession we made. It wasn’t a dream. It happened.
Harper releases a sigh as she holds me closer. My breath catches as I study her plump lips and her long eyelashes. It’s as if she’s always belonged here with me, as though the jagged pieces of my life are finally smoothing around her.
I didn’t realize just how much I’d craved her and how monumental it would be to share this kind of intimacy until now. Harper didn’t give up on me and showed me that falling in love was possible again.
Her eyelids flutter open, blue-gray eyes lifting to meet mine. She gives me a sweet but shy smile.
“Morning,” she whispers.
“Morning,” I say back, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, enjoying how pretty she is when she wakes up. “Sleep okay?”
“Better than okay.” She stretches, the slow arch of her back pressing her body even closer to mine. “The best.”
I chuckle. “Great. If you could leave a review …”
“Five out of five stars. Absolutely recommend.” Her fingers trail along my skin, brushing over the tattoos etched permanently on my arm, tracing each one like it’s a story she’s determined to know by heart.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of these quiet mornings with her.
“Did you imagine this was possible?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes search mine. “Us?”
I thread my fingers with hers, holding our joined hands close against my chest, right above the steady rhythm of my heart.
“Only in my dreams,” I admit, the confession slipping from my lips with ease. I feel raw and exposed, but I push forward, wanting to share the parts of myself that I hide from the world with her. “Even when I knew I shouldn’t.”
She tilts her head curiously. “Why shouldn’t you?”
I hesitate, sorting carefully through my fears before finally giving voice to the one that’s held me back the longest. “Because losing you—losingthis—would be the one thing I don’t think I could survive.”
She leans forward, pressing a kiss against my chest, her lips lingering over my heart. When she lifts her head again, her eyes shimmer with certainty. “I’m not going anywhere, Brody. You don’t have to carry that burden anymore.”
Something inside my chest loosens, relief flooding through me in a powerful wave, washing away the last shadowed fragments of my doubts. I reach up, brushing my thumb across her cheek.
“Promise me,” I whisper, my voice full of emotion.
“I promise,” she breathes without hesitation. “I’m right here, and I’m not letting go. Ever.”
I catch her lips with mine, pouring every ounce of trust, longing, and affection into it. She sighs against my mouth, deepening the kiss, melting willingly into my arms as our tongues lightly twist together. When we break apart, our breath mingles in unison.
Harper whispers, her voice wavering with emotion, “Thank you for letting me see you. Really see you. You’ve always kept everything so hidden. But this feels different. Like you trust me.”
I cradle her face, studying her. “I do trust you, Harp,” I admit. “More than I’ve ever trusted anyone.”
Her eyes sparkle with admiration, and it nearly undoes me. She leans forward, brushing another soft kiss over my lips, as if she’s trying to seal my words with a stamp of approval. The intimacy of that moment—the promise of something deeper—settles into my bones, weaving itself into the very fabric of who I am.
We linger, savoring this new sense of trust, comfort, and connection that was forged in the fire of our past. Harper’s breath is warm against my skin. My arms tighten around her protectively, and we fall into a comfortable silence, wrapped securely in each other’s arms.
She’s the kind of partner I’ve always needed, even if I’m not quite ready to put words to that feeling yet. Harper drifts off again, and I enjoy the way her presence calms every anxious thought that used to haunt me.
My fingertips trace slow patterns along her body as I memorize the delicate slope of her back, the smoothness of her skin, and the rhythm of her heart beating against mine. Time slows and stretches lazily around us.
This is the life.
Outside, the rain has finally stopped, leaving a peaceful stillness, only punctuated by the occasional dripping of water from the trees onto the cabin’s metal roof. It feels surreal to be here, holding Harper like this, and I’m at peace.
Eventually, my phone vibrates on the nightstand, jolting me back to the present. I reach for it, glancing at the screen while trying not to disturb Harper.