“You didn’t mean to,” he says, then softer, “I just missed you so damn much.”
I move closer until we’re practically breathing each other in. “Imissed you too, even when I tried not to. Even when I told myself I didn’t.”
“I know,” he murmurs. “I saw it in your eyes. You were just too busy surviving to let yourself feel it.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “That day at the cemetery, something shifted. It wasn’t big or dramatic, but I didn’t run from the pain. I sat in it. I let myself miss her. And you. And who I used to be before everything fell apart.”
He brushes a tear from my cheek.
“I think that was the first time I really chose to start healing,” I whisper.
Jaxon leans in and kisses me. It’s slow, gentle, and full of everything we’ve never needed words for.
When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine. “I’ve got you now,” he says, voice steady. “You don’t have to run anymore.”
“I don’t want to,” I whisper.
He shifts until I’m tucked against him again, his arms wrapped around me like home.
And for the first time in a long time, the silence doesn’t feel heavy.
It feels like peace.
53
MADISON
Soft whispers pull me from sleep.
“Baby, wake up.”
I shift, stretching slightly beneath the warm sheets, the soreness in my body a reminder of last night. A slow smile tugs at my lips as I reach out, but instead of Jaxon’s solid warmth, my fingers brush against empty space.
I blink my eyes open to find him standing at the edge of the bed, his bare chest glowing in the faint morning light filtering in through the blinds. His sweats hang low on his hips, his hair messy, his eyes softer than I expect.
“Get dressed,” he murmurs, his voice rough from sleep. “Meet me downstairs.”
I frown, still heavy with exhaustion, still very naked. “What time is it?”
Jaxon smirks. “Early.”
I groan, rolling onto my stomach, my face pressing into his pillow. “Then why the hell am I awake?”
His chuckle is quiet as he leans down, dragging the sheets lower, his lips brushing my bare shoulder. “Trust me.”
With a deep sigh, I push myself up and watchas he backs toward the door, hands tucked in his pockets. “Don’t take too long.”
I flip him off lazily, and his laugh follows him as he disappears down the hall.
By the time I make it downstairs, dressed in leggings and one of Jaxon’s hoodies, he’s already waiting by the door, keys in hand. He grins when he sees me, reaching for my hand before pulling me outside into the cool morning air.
“What are we doing?” I ask, my voice still thick with sleep as he opens the truck door for me.
He just winks. “It’s a surprise.”
I sigh dramatically as I climb in, buckling up and pulling my sleeves over my hands for warmth. As soon as Jaxon settles into the driver’s seat, I glance at the time glowing on the dash.
5:03 AM.
