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We spent the rest of our time in Melrose walking the dogs, visiting the local pub with my parents and – away from prying eyes – in the bath or tangled in the sheets. Every glance, giggle and touch I could pull from her was like experiencing my senses for the first time.

I learned she had a cluster of freckles on her inner right thigh that replicated the Cassiopeia constellation.

It was quickly becoming one of my favourite things to kiss, but she’d never let me any closer to the heaven between her thighs.

I made a mental note to figure it out at a later date, but for now I was enjoying being able to hold her, to treat her exactly as she deserved.

Instead of lying with an invisible barrier between us each night, her crazy hair would tickle my arm as she’d snore softly on my chest. Instead of knocking the bathroom door for privacy, we shared bubble baths and showers caressing skin and massaging limbs aimlessly.

Instead of holding back our personalities to be polite, we shared inner secrets and cherished every one.

Time both stood still and flew, and I almost begrudged the prospect of returning to reality at the risk we’d lose what we had in Melrose.

Shaking me from my thoughts, Willow’s soft fingers entangled with mine, removing it from the steering wheel and to her lips. I smiled. How lucky was I to realise my unrequited love was not?

“You okay?” she asked quietly.

“I’m perfect, sweetheart. I just got caught up in our little bubble, I don’t quite want to share you with the world yet.” I pulled our joined hands to my lips and peppered each knuckle with a kiss.

“Me neither.” She sighed and shuffled her body to watch the landscape pass as we travelled south, our fingers still linked at a stretch. “Thank you for telling me about the cameras.”

“I wasn’t sure I should, I was worried you’d panic. ”

“I did. But I’m stronger than I was when I left his house, and I’m happier than I was when we left Saturday morning. He’s never known me strong or happy.”

I mused on her words, realising that our timeline of events wasn’t that long at all.

“Can I ask something?” She hummed approval, still gazing out the window. “I know it hasn’t been long since you left. Do you feel like this is… a rebound?”

Willow’s head snapped to mine with horror and yanked her fingers away.

“How could you think that?”

Fuck . Her face crumpled into devastation, and I quickly explained.

“No. No, no. I don’t. I just… that was a long relationship, and I’d get it if you needed time to get out of it.”

My head bounced from the road to her, conflicted which was the bigger priority right now. Either way I was careering into a monumental car crash.

“What part of the last month makes you think I’d ever want more time to grieve that relationship?”

Tears streamed down her beautiful cheeks, and I shamed myself for making her feel anything less than she was. She huffed, and returned to the window, swiping at her tears.

At the last second I took the turn for the services, rushing to park as quickly as possible. I unbuckled myself and turned to her in the passenger seat.

“Willow, look at me. Please, baby,” I begged.

After a moment, she turned but avoided eye contact.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come across as it did.

I guess I just can’t quite believe we’re here, that I’m in a relationship with Willow-fucking-Thornton.

It’s like I’m going to drop the ball, and you’ll run. ”

“Have I done anything to suggest I will?”

“No,” I whispered, ashamed.

“Then I need you to trust me. Take me off a pedestal, because I’ll do or say the wrong things even when I don’t mean to, but your high expectations are only going to give me further to fall when I inevitably do.

Tell me if you can’t do this, because I’ve spent too long figuring out the male ego.

I’ve told you I’m all in. I want you Jack, and you say you want me too, but I need you to want the realistic version of me.

” She opened the car door and rushed through the rain into the services.

I clenched my eyes and let my head fall back. Everything she’d said was right. It was my fragile ego that was questioning her. She deserved my trust, she’d never given me reason to doubt her.

Ten minutes later, she returned to the car with two steaming cups of tea, passing mine over and holding onto hers. She was sopping and as beautiful as ever .

“I’m sorry.” She stared straight, hands cupping her paper cup.

“Willow, I am sorry. You’re right, you deserve more credit than I’m giving you.

I guess in any other breakup, one month’s gap wouldn’t be sufficient, but I know that wasn’t the standard relationship, and neither is this, a-as in it’s special.

We’re both learning as we go and I’m going to say the wrong things sometimes too.

” I held my palm out to her. She side-eyed it, then placed her hot hand in mine.

“Come here, sweetheart.” She relinquished her cup to the holder before shuffling over the centre console to straddle me.

I pulled her in, tangling my fingers in her damp hair. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

“I know, but please don’t question my capacity to understand what I want and when I want it. It isn’t fair.”

“I know. Neither of us are perfect, but I’ll never stop worshipping the ground you walk on, whether in the midst of an argument or not. You deserve to be treated like the goddess you are.”

She pulled back from our embrace, palmed my cheeks and kissed me.

“Let’s go home. You’ve got some making up to do.” She offered a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. I’d get it there again.

“Okay, baby. Let’s go home.”