God, what I wouldn’t give to go back and do the months that followed those over.
But I didn’t have a time machine.
All I could do was move forward. Do better. Earn back her smiles, her laughs, her kisses.Her love.
“Alright, troublemaker. Let’s eat.”
“Um, I believe you promised me a hat.”
“And you’d be correct.” I held up a finger. “One moment.”
I darted over to where I’d dropped her hat earlier and scooped it off the floor. With a flourish, I placed the cone atop her damp head and gently stretched the elastic under her chin.
“Perfect,” I whispered.
Elena’s gaze dipped to my lips. Fuck, I wanted to kiss her. But I had a plan—for midnight.
With a hand on her lower back, I broke the spell and guided her to the table.
“Bubbly, madam?” I asked, holding out the bottle of sparkling juice.
Elena giggled. “Yes, please.”
We snacked and chatted for the next hour. She caught me up on the chaos in the Ashford ER, and I told her about my run-in with Jared and the impromptu meeting Kai had accompanied me to.
“I’m really proud of you, Chase,” she said, her smile morphing into a yawn.
“Come on.” I stood and offered her my hand. She let me guide her to the couch then curled up on my lap as I pulled her favorite microfleece blanket over us. “Rest.”
I grabbed the remote and turned the TV toNew Year’s Eve Livewith Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. We still had a few hours until midnight, and Elena and I laughed as the hosts did shot after shot, getting increasingly unhinged.
I didn’t miss it.
I didn’t need it.
I could laugh and have fun and be happy—with her—without a single drop of alcohol.
After a particularly awkward interview with 50 Cent, I looked down and found Elena fast asleep against my shoulder. I muted the TV and let the room fall quiet. As the countdown began, I made a silent resolution—to do everything humanly possible to give this woman and our daughter the world.
And when the clock struck midnight, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her.
Chapter Forty
ELENA
Now, December 2024
His lips were on mine,and I wasmissingit.
My eyes fluttered open just as he pulled away, still staring at my mouth like it was sacred.
“Chase,” I whispered. His gaze snapped to mine. “Take me to bed.”
Chapter Forty-One
CHASE
Now, December 2024
