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“Yeah, I guess we better get back in there and finish up,” I say, and he agrees, following me back inside the house.
Keaton
The house looks like the kind you’d see on a jigsaw puzzle. A quant little place, almost like a cottage, tucked back between towering oak trees, surrounded with shrubbery and wildflowers. It was a bit of a mess but held a wild quality that felt somewhat fantastical.
“It’s lovely,” Ma says from the seat beside me.
I tried to get her to ride up front with Rob, but she was set on sticking by my side. I can’t say that I blame her after everything.
Bodhi emerges from the house as we pull up, smiling brightly. Butterflies erupt in my stomach, and I place my hand over my abdomen to calm the fluttering. It’s been happening ever since he told me he loves me. Every time I see him, like some lovesick teenager.
He comes around to my side of the car and opens the door for me.
“Hey, beautiful,” he says, reaching in a tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“Hey,” I answer sleepily.
“Let’s get you inside,” he says before reaching in to wrap an arm around my back, letting me lean into him for support.
My legs are sore from disuse, and my cast bound wrist rest securely in a sling over my chest. I’m amazed that it was the only real injury I sustained. I know that I’m beyond lucky to be alive. That day could have gone badly in a million different ways.
Sander pulls up behind Rob’s car and jumps right in, offering to help carry my and Ma’s bags inside.
He lifts his head and nods to Bodhi in greeting before letting his eyes flit toward my face, offering nothing more than a tight-lipped smile as he turns to follow everyone inside.
“Have you talked to him yet?” Bodhi whispers against the side of my head.
“No,” I answer sheepishly.
I know that I need to, but I haven’t really had a lot of time for myself these last few days. I don’t want to rehash our fight in front of prying eyes.
“I think you should,” he says.
I pull my head to the side, peering up at him skeptically.
“Since when are you Team Sander?” I ask.
He chuckles, drawing me near, careful not to jostle my arm. “Since he pulled through with this entire situation and proved not to be a total dick.”
I snort, shaking my head. “You two really did bond, didn’t you?”
“Did you ever doubt me?” he asks.
“Honestly?” I ask, raising my brows.
We stop just outside the front door, and he turns me to face him, a serious look in his eyes, waiting for my answer.
“There were days in the beginning when I hoped you wouldn’t follow through. I hoped you would just forget that I existed and go on with your own life. But you never did. You always manage to come through, and despite some of the secrets that we’ve both been guilty of keeping, you always hold to your word,” I say, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it.
He smiles down at me before reaching around the back of my neck and drawing me to him, kissing me slowly and sweetly.
Remembering where we are, I pull back just enough to look up at him.
“I never doubted you for a second.”
“Well, look who it is,” a familiar voice pulls us from the moment, and I turn to see Milo strutting toward the front door, smiling from ear to ear, crinkling the corners of his dark brown eyes. His long brown hair is pulled back in a bun, and his bronzed skin is flushed across his high cheeks.
“Hey Milo,” I say, offering him a lopsided grin.
