Listen To Me

“Addie, I can’t promise you that there won’t be times I fuck up or that things won’t ever feel broken.” His voice is a shaky whisper, his mouth planted against my temple. “But I can promise you that I will never walk away from us.”

“Jake, there isn’t one person in this world that I want more than I want you.”

He stills, then rubs his hands up and down my back, to my waist, and then simply hugs me close. “Not even one?”

“I might think twice if Scott Eastwood were to make me a proposition.”

Oh, how I’ve missed this!

“Who is Scott Eastwood?” he asks with a growl.

he sits and tugs me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me again. “I thought I’d lost you forever,” he murmurs, his voice rough with unshed tears. “I don’t ever want to feel that way again, Addie.”

He leans his forehead against mine. “Addie, I love you so much it hurts.”

I tip my head back and cup his cheek in my hand. The stubble is rough, but what makes me gasp is the wetness I feel on his skin. “Don’t go away.”

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetness.”

“God, it tears me up to see you cry.”

I whirl, startled, and breathe a sigh of relief when I see Jake leaning against the wall beside my door.

“You’re here,” I breathe.

“I was trying to figure out a way to get you to let me in.” That smile. Even in the dark I can see it spread across his face, and I can’t stand it anymore. I just walk right into his arms, rest my head on his chest, and begin to cry in earnest.

“Let me inside, Addison.”

“No.” She swallows. “I want nothing but the best for you, Jake Keller.”

“You’re the best for me.”

“No, I’m not. Goodbye, Jake.”

I swallow hard. God, it really is over. What am I going to do without her?

Still nothing, and it’s fucking killing me. I want to hold her while I tell her all of this. I don’t want to say it through this fucking door.

When I thought it was you in that accident, well, I didn’t know that I could feel terror like that. It put me in a bad place, sweetness.”

I’m quiet for a moment when she says, “Keep going.”

“Good, you’re still listening.” I grin.