Page 233 of At First Catch

I cup his face fully in both hands. “You scared the hell out of me,” I admit.

His eyes widen, and a sharp intake of breath escapes him, his jaw clenching in an involuntary shudder. “I know.”

“And I hated watching you disappear every time things got hard.”

Emotion roughens his voice. “I know.”

The sincerity in it matters. No excuses. No defensiveness. Just accountability.

Nolan’s hands settle cautiously at my waist like he still can’t quite believe he’s allowed to touch me yet.

“I don’t need perfect,” I whisper. “I just need you to let me stand beside you.”

Nolan’s eyes close briefly.

“I can do that now.”

His forehead falls gently against mine, and suddenly, we’re both crying a little now. The kind of tears that happen after surviving something painful together.

“I thought I lost you,” Nolan whispers.

Pain slices straight through my chest because he sounds genuinely wrecked by the possibility.

I slide my fingers into his hair.

“You almost did.”

“I know.”

We stand there together, just breathing in each other for a moment, savoring this reconciliation.

“So…” Nolan clears his throat. “You wanna maybe see the house?”

A laugh breaks through my tears before I can stop it. The sound startles both of us.

“You’re asking me out using real estate?”

“It felt mature.”

“Concerning strategy.”

“Thank you.”

I shake my head helplessly through another tearful laugh. Then, without preamble, I kiss him. The second my mouth touches his, Nolan falls apart against me.

One hand slides tightly against my waist while the other cups the back of my neck like he’s terrified I’ll disappear again if he doesn’t hold on carefully enough.

The kiss hurts in a way that feels like coming home after being lost. Nolan kisses me like an apology and a promise and relief, all tangled together.

When we finally pull apart, Nolan rests his forehead against mine again, breathing unevenly.

“I love you,” he whispers.

The words slide directly into every broken place inside me. I smile through tears, brushing my thumb across his cheek.

“I know,” I whisper back. “And this time…” Emotion catches warmly in my chest. “I think you finally know how to stay.”

Nolan’s eyes crinkle at the corners, a wide, unrestrained smile spreading across his face.