Page 104 of Saved By Two

He lowers his mouth inches from hers. “I know I can be overbearing, and the last thing I want to do is ever make you feel trapped.”

She shakes her head. “You don’t—” The toaster makes a thwack sound. She startles with a nervous laugh, which somewhat helps defuse some of the tension.

“Noah or I are happy to drop you off or pick you up. Or if you want to get an Uber—whatever you need to feel in control again.”

Jessica studies him. It makes me sad when I know she’s searching for an untruth, but I also can’t blame her, not after everything she’s been through.

“Thank you,” she says, and just like that, they move simultaneously, sealing her soft words with a kiss.

He pulls back, and she looks at me shyly as I lean in and kiss her too.

* * *

Jessica got an Uber in the end, but that didn’t mean Caleb wasn’t pacing like a lion in a cage the entire time. Regardless of our feelings, we know this wasn’t about us, it was about her.

To keep myself occupied, I decided a celebratory dinner was in order. She might not even be hungry when she gets home, but I wanted to do something anyway, just in case.

I even set the dining table with candles.

I’m in the living room, straightening up the coffee table when I see a book Jessica has been reading. She’s dog-eared the pages. I can’t help my chuckle, knowing how much that will grate on Caleb’s nerves.

Caleb’s phone rings, and I glance up to see him frown before he swipes the screen to answer. “Mason?”

Dropping the book, I stand before him as he turns on speaker phone.

“Fuck, sorry, man. I’ve been out of the country—undercover babysitting gig. What the fuck is going on? Is Jessica okay?”

Before either of us can respond, footsteps alert us to another presence. I didn’t even hear the front door.

“Hello, fucking answer me. Is she okay?”

Jessica’s eyes shoot to the phone in his hand, her mouth falling open as she rushes forward.

“Mason?”

“Jessica?”

Tears fill her eyes as Caleb presses a button and hands her the phone, her hand trembling when she brings it to her ear.

“Yes, it’s me,” she says with a choked sob.

She’s nodding at something he says. “No, I’m okay, I promise. Caleb and Noah have been taking care of me.”

I can’t help but smile. How she stares at us as though we’re her heroes blows my mind. This woman saved herself not once but twice. The only hero here is her.

She sits down on the sofa, listening to Mason speak, tears rolling down her cheeks freely, but they’re not tears of sadness, they’re tears of joy.

Taking Caleb’s hand in mine, I tug it gently, nudging my head towards the living room door, and we back away.

Jessica shoots to her feet. “Wait, where are you going?” she asks, pulling the phone away slightly from her ear.

“Just giving you some privacy to speak to your brother,” I reply. “If you need us, we’ll just be in the kitchen.”

Her eyes soften, and she nods. “Okay, thank you,” she says as she pulls the phone back to her ear as she sits down.

As soon as we’re in the kitchen, Caleb grabs me and embraces me tightly.

“Thank fuck for that,” he says, and it’s only now I feel some of the tension that’s been building finally start to dissipate.

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