Page 101 of Talk Birdie to Me

But this decision wasn’t based on data or math or responsibility.

Geena was letting herself want something.

She wanted to keep Gary.

And there was one other thing she wanted, but that wasn’t solely in her control, so she’d just have to wait and see on that.

“Well then, I fully support this decision.”

He pulled her in for another kiss, this time less quickly and less gently. She held him close and let herself get lost in that kiss. In wanting him.

Then, he moved back suddenly and looked her in the eyes.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Since we’re laying out big decisions and all, I have one for you.”

She once again couldn’t read his expression. She thought it might be fear, but she’d never seen that emotion cross his face, except when he’d rushed into that room to find her and Gary at James’s house.

Geena’s stomach dropped while her chest felt like a million bees had taken up residence there.

“Okay,” she said. “What decision is that?”

He slid his hand from her waist and held her hand instead. His palm was sweaty as he squeezed hers.

“I got offered the job in St. Louis.”

The bees swarmed in her chest, and she struggled to breathe. She’d known this was a possibility. She’d known that he wanted to leave this place at some point.

And he’d been right. Better to move on before things got even more serious. Before anyone got hurt.

But this was already going to hurt.

“When do you start?”

A small, hesitant smile appeared. “I don’t.”

“What does that mean?”

Did he get one of the other positions? She knew he’d sent resumes to several places.

He squeezed her hand again, tighter this time. “I turned them down. And pulled my other applications. I’m not going anywhere.”

The bees were replaced by butterflies, fluttering with possibilities. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” he said with a small laugh. “And I deleted the dating app from my phone. I’m not interested in any more messages or matches or anything. I’m all yours if you want to really take this leap with me.”

Geena felt a rush of excitement at the thought of a future with Cody. They hadn’t known each other for very long, but they’d come to understand and care about each other more than some couples did after months of dating.

Besides Gary, this was the only other thing she’d allowed herself to want. Even though she knew there’d been a chance he would leave.

And there was still a chance this might not work out.

“Are you sure? I mean, you’ve been so adamant about wanting to move around, to see new places and meet new people. How do you know you won’t change your mind again in a week or two or twenty?”

“There are never any guarantees,” he said. “But I know this is what I want. To be here. To be with you. We can travel together if we want. Someone helped me realize that I wasn’t running toward what I wanted so much as away from what I was afraid of.”

“You were afraid of me?”

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