Page 126 of Hold Me Tight

Her lips curve. “Yes. I love you, River.”

She says it like it’s the simplest truth in the world.

And maybe it is.

Maybe it always has been.

Emotion grips my throat. “Say it again, baby.”

She steps closer, pressing her palms to my chest. “I love you.”

I close my eyes as her words wash over me, splitting me open in ways I never knew were possible.

I drop my forehead to hers. “Thank fuck, Callie.”

Her fingers curl into my shirt. “I was so scared,” she admits. “Not of you. Never of you. But of letting someone all the way in and then losing them. Of trusting the wrong person again.”

“That’s never going to happen with me.”

“I realize that now.” She draws in a breath and leans back just enough to look up at me with eyes that shine. “You were always there. Every single time. When I needed help, when I needed quiet, when I didn’t even know what I needed—you showed up. You were already there.”

“Always,” I rasp. “And I’d do it again. A thousand times over.”

She smiles through the tears. “Even when I didn’t deserve it.”

“Don’t.” I cup her jaw, brushing my thumb along her skin. “Don’t ever say that again. You deserve every fucking thing this world has to offer.”

Her throat works on a swallow. “Zane said all the right things, but he’s never shown up. Not for Nora or for me. You have. Every moment and in every way that matters.”

“I will never stop showing up for you,” I promise. “I don’t care how hard it gets. I’m in this. All the way.”

When she launches herself at me, I catch her without hesitation. She buries her face against my neck, her body trembling in my arms, as if the weight of everything she’s let go has finally caught up to her. My hands smooth over her back, wanting to offer comfort.

“I wanted to tell you this morning,” she admits. “But I needed time to think. And I needed to be sure.”

I pull back just enough to look at her, brushing my fingers along her cheek. “And are you?”

Her nod is firm. “I’m done questioning what we have. And I’m done letting fear speak louder than love.”

I press a kiss against her forehead. “Good. Just know I’m not going anywhere.” I can’t help but stare at the woman who’s changed everything for me. My entire world. “Not ever.”

46

Callie

River laces our fingers together as we step into the private elevator, and I lean into his side, pressing my cheek against his shoulder. My heart is still pounding from everything we said earlier and the truths we finally spoke aloud, but it’s no longer from fear or uncertainty.

It’s anticipation.

Every step, every floor we ascend, feels like moving closer to something new. Something that’s been building between us for years.

When the doors slide open on the rooftop level, my breath catches at the sight that greets me from the other side. Fairy lights twinkle around the space, strung between the trees that circle a rectangular pool. The glow they cast is soft and golden, painting everything in an amber light that feels unreal. Lush greenery surrounds the space. Tall planters and potted palms give the illusion of a secret garden perched high above the city skyline. A few stone sculptures peek out from the foliage. It’s as if the entire rooftop was designed to be more of a dream.

As soon as I take a step, River bends and lifts me into his arms without effort. His hold is strong and steady, as if I’m something precious he’ll never let go of.

“Oh my God,” I gasp, taking it all in.

“This is all for you,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the crown of my head. “For us. No noise, no pressure. Just you and me.”