Page 148 of Forgive You

Our lips fuse, and it settles everything that was churning in my stomach at the mention of his brother.

I still have a lot to work through, but knowing this man is waiting for me when I get home makes all the difference. It’s giving me the safe haven to actually reflect on everything that’s happened in my life without the whole fight-and-flight kicking in.

And I really feel like it’s working. It’s quite liberating to confess your fears and insecurities to someone who doesn’t know or judge you. After every appointment, I skip out of there lighter and more confident than before.

Even my therapist told me I’m making a lot of progress.

I let my cheek rest on Jason’s shoulder, his hand wrapped around my inner thigh.

“You wanna catch another wave, or are you ready to go home?” I ask with a content smile on my face.

“I’ve been thinking... Why don’t we go home?”

I nod, ready to get up, but he grabs my arm. “No, I meango home.”

I frown, a little lost.

He tucks me back down, his palms on my hips, before he guides me onto his lap so I can straddle him. “Back to North Carolina.”

My eyes grow big, but my heart wakes up in excitement before it’s knocked back by doubt again. “Take a few days off?”

He chuckles, and the puzzle pieces are starting to click together in my head. “No, baby. Let’s move back home.”

His eyes glisten with sparks of joy, tangled with a little mischief.

“You want to move back home?”

He nods.

“But your life is here?”

After Hunter moved back and Jason decided to stay, I figured Jason was going to be a West Coast boy for the rest of his life. He loves the beach, he loves to surf and, deep down, I think he loves the permanent warmth on his face.

He shakes his head. “No, it’s not. My life is where you are. I stayed in LA because it was convenient. Because I didn’t really have a reason to come back. But now I do.”

He pushes away a strand of my hair. “I can live in California for the rest of my life and be fine. But you, Jules? You’re a North Carolina girl. You love the southern hospitality, the four seasons and, most of all, you love that our friends and family are there.”

He’s not wrong. I accepted the job for NVS only because I knew Jason was here. If I ever felt lonely, he might hate me, but I liked knowing that at least someone I knew was close. And now that we’re finally past all the bullshit, the only reason I like LA is because he’s here.

But it doesn’t change my desire to have everyone I care about just a car ride away.

“What about Cash?”

“That boy is gonna make it big. Soon, he’ll be touring around the world, and we won’t get to see him much anyway.”

I take his face in my hands. “Your job is here.”

“I’m a sports agent. My job is wherever I want it to be.”

I study his expression for any lies, or bent truths to make me happy, but all I find is clear blue eyes I can drown in.

Do I want to move back to North Carolina?

For a second, I let myself dream.

I would see my friends regularly. FaceTime mornings will be replaced by coffee mornings, and cuddles with Logan and Lizzy. My folks would be nearby, and after the last year, we have some serious work to do to make up for lost time. Jason’s mom is there. I do like the North Carolina weather.

“I just started working for NVS a couple months ago.”

---