Page 126 of When in December

“What if I said it? I did say it. And you know what? There’s nothinkingabout it. I love you.”

His words echoed the feelings swirling inside me, unspoken but palpable.

And as I looked into his eyes, I saw my reflection—my mirrored desires and fear. Aaron had been on my mind constantly, his absence leaving a void that I couldn’t seem to fill, no matter how hard I tried. Yet here he was, putting words to it.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” said Aaron. “You’re all I think about every second I walk through the cabin. I see you everywhere—in those bookshelves and in the paint color on the cabinets that some snooty couple touring the place want to redo in some ugly beige.”

“You told them that it was a terrible idea, right?”

“I held myself back,” he admitted with a small chuckle. “Not that it matters. I don’t think I’m going to be leaving the place.”

“You aren’t?”

“I think I’ll have something to keep me here. Or at least, I hope I will,” he said.

I stared at him, sniffing as I held myself together. “Really?”

“Since losing my parents, I never realized how much I wanted to have a place that felt like I was meant to be there. A place with good meals, even if they’re burned. I don’t care. A place with laughter bouncing off the walls and way too many knickknacks that I don’t get the purpose of. And you helped to make that. You created this place for me that I love more than I thought I could, and after you were gone, I realized that it wasn’t the cabin that was home for me. It was you, Poppy. You’re home.”

Aaron stood there, vulnerable yet resolute. His words hung heavily in the air. My heart pounded in my chest, a whirlwind of emotions crashing over me as I processed his confession.

“I know we agreed on not being together because of your job and my desperate need to escape this place. That would have been the easy solution for us. The neat, tidy, predictable version of us. But then I figured, since when have we ever followed a plan?” He chuckled, as if it was some sort of inside joke. “I should’ve never let you leave the other morning. I woke up, and all I could think about was how I could drag you back into bed, and I didn’t. I thought I would regret what happened in the Army or not going back, but that morning—I don’t think I’ll ever regret anything more than not stopping you then.”

I swallowed, staring at him.

“I guess what I’m saying in all of this is that I hope you feel even a little of the same way here.” Aaron chuckled with his arms open before letting them fall to his sides. “Because I’m done pretending or preparing to run away. I want to stay here in the cabin that you made a home. With you.”

I searched his eyes for any sign of insincerity, but all I found was raw honesty and a flicker of something more. Hope maybe. It was a fragile thing, this unspoken connection that silently grew, but it was there, undeniable and potent.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence stretched taut with all the truths laid bare. And then, without conscious thought, I found myself stepping away from my desk until we were mere inches apart.

The weight of his gaze was both comforting and terrifying. It pulled me in like a magnet.

I couldn’t help but feel torn apart by conflicting emotions. My body ached for him despite all the pain he had caused me before.

Could I let this happen again?

Hewantedme. Despite everything that had happened in the past, Aaron Hayes wanted me now.

And you know what?

“I love you too.” My voice was barely a whisper.

Aaron closed the gap between us until our breaths mingled in the small space that separated our lips. “We can figure it out together,” he said softly, his hand reaching out tentatively to brush against my cheek. “Everything. I won’t hold you back, and I’m going to figure out my mess to makeuswork.”

“We can work with a mess,” I said. “I’d work with a complete disaster for you.”

He kissed me, not pausing for another word. Our mouths spoke the rest, tasting sharp and sweet.

Our kiss deepened, a blend of longing, passion, and unspoken promises. It felt like the rest of the world screaming for the new year to come had fallen away, leaving the two of us in our bubble of existence in the middle of the Home Haven office.

I laughed against his mouth, still in slight disbelief over what was happening, letting the tears slip down my cheeks.

He pushed them away with his thumbs, checking to make sure I was all right before kissing me again.

Breathless and flushed, I ran my fingers through his hair, feeling the tension in his body slowly melt away as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer.

Our noses brushed against each other again before Aaron leaned back. Still holding me against his chest, he glanced around the empty office for the first time since he’d arrived, and he laughed too.

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