She sucked in a breath, eyes wide, lips parting. “Ace…”
I cradled her face, thumb brushing her cheek. “Tell me this is real. Tell me this isn’t just a moment.”
Her hands slid up my chest, fingers curling into my shirt. “It’s real,” she whispered. “It’s always been real.”
And then — I kissed her.
Slow at first, like we were testing the edges, then fierce, unstoppable. Her arms wrapped around my neck, my hands pressed into the small of her back, pulling her closer, closer, until the world fell away and there was only us.
When we broke apart, we were both laughing, breathless, foreheads pressed together.
"Brit, I never apologize for hurting you 12 years ago. I was an asshole, and dump person who didn't know how to handle feelings well. I pushed you to your worst limit and I am so sorry for that. I promise to spend the rest of my life changing the permanent scar I gave you" I tell her
" You really hurt me Ace. You were my biggest tormentor,I really needed you and you joined them. I can't say I forgive you for that part,but I hope someday I'll look back and smile at that memory" she replies and I burst into sobs.
“God, Britt,” I whispered, lips brushing her temple, “I’m so gone for you.”
She smiled against my skin. “Good,” she breathed. “Because I’m gone for you, too.”
---
Later, when I walked her to her door, her fingers still laced with mine, I knew.
This wasn’t a date.
This wasn’t a kiss.
This was the start of forever.
Chapter 56
Ace
The morning sun filtered through the blinds, casting soft light on the hardwood floors of the apartment. It felt like an ordinary Saturday, but my life had been anything but ordinary these past few months. Brittany and I had been inseparable, our relationship growing in ways I hadn’t expected.
I was staying at her place, the apartment she shared with her friend Sylvia. Sylvia was hardly ever here—she spent most of her time lecturing at Arkansas State University. In the beginning, I was a little unsettled by how empty the place felt without her presence, but now, I had come to love the quiet moments with Brittany. It was just us, and it felt right.
I sat at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in hand, as Brittany busied herself with breakfast. Her long hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she wore an oversized sweatshirt that hung off her shoulders. She looked so beautiful in the simplest of things. I couldn’t help but smile to myself.
“What are you grinning at?” Brittany’s voice broke through my thoughts, her smile teasing as she slid a plate of scrambled eggs and toast across the table.
“Just thinking about how lucky I am,” I replied, meeting her gaze.
She raised an eyebrow. “Lucky? Or just really in love?”
I chuckled. “Both.”
I was in love, that was certain. But the love I had for Brittany wasn’t just about the passion or the chemistry between us. It was deeper than that—it was about the life we had built together. Every moment with her felt like the start of something new, something exciting. But today, as we sat across from each other in the quiet of her apartment, the future seemed to weigh on my mind more than it ever had before.
“I’ve been thinking,” Brittany said, her voice soft but purposeful. “About moving.”
I paused, setting my coffee down. “What do you mean?”
She leaned back in her chair, her eyes searching mine. “I love LA, don’t get me wrong. But I love Arkansas now, too. It’s become home in a way I didn’t expect. I’ve been talking to Jasper and Corrine about moving the headquarters of my company here. I think it would be good for the business—and for me.”
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn’t seen this coming. Brittany had always been so attached to LA—her roots were there. But here, in Arkansas, she had found something different, something she was passionate about. And while part of me understood her desire to make this move, another part of me felt the panic creeping in.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked, trying to steady my racing heart. “I mean, this is a big change. For you, for your company…”
