Page 86 of Resisting my Roommate

I grab his hand, cutting him off. “What if I don’t just want to spend a few weekends a month in Sycamore Falls? What if I want to spend every single day there?”

“But your job, Abbey. Isn’t this what you wanted?”

I shrug, realizing how much my priorities have shifted. “I thought it was. But I fucking hate it,” I confess. “This isn’t what I want. Not anymore.”

After everything blew up with Carson, I promised myself I’d never be dependent on another person again. But Jude’s not just any other person.

He’smyperson.

“Then whatdoyou want?” He drags my body into his.

“You, Jude,” I say without hesitation. “Jobs come and go. But you… I can probably travel all over the world and never find another man who infuriates me but makes me happy like you do.”

“So what does that mean?” he asks somewhat hesitantly.

I drape an arm over his shoulder and lift myself onto my toes, brushing my lips against his. “That means I want you to take me home.”

He exhales deeply, like he’s been scared to breathe for too long. Then he pulls me even closer, barely a whisper between us as he murmurs, “I’m already home.You’remy home, Abbey. And the love of my fucking life.”

“I thought love was just an illusion,” I tease.

“What can I say…” He tips my chin up, forcing my lips to meet his. “You made me a believer.”

Then he kisses me, and for the first time in my life, I know this is where I’m meant to be.

Not in New York. Not in the corporate world.

All my life, I’ve wanted to feel like I had a home. A family. Like I belong.

I finally do.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

ABBEY

The road stretches out before me, lined with familiar trees and buildings leading me through the heart of Sycamore Falls. A year ago on this very day, I sped down this same road, heartbroken and angry, trying to outrun a truth I didn’t want to face. I thought I had hit rock bottom.

Funny, I didn’t realize that rock bottom was exactly where I needed to be in order to rebuild.

And that’s precisely what Jude and I have done since he came to New York and begged me for another chance.

The first thing he did when we returned to Sycamore Falls was put his townhouse on the market. As bittersweet as it was for me, Jude needed this. If we were to have the fresh start we deserved, he needed a clean slate.

We bought a house in an adorable residential community a few miles from downtown with a stunning view of the mountains. Every evening after work, I love sitting on our back deck with Jude, watching the sunset paint the sky with vibrant colors I didn’t think possible in nature.

But I don’t work for Jude anymore, although sometimes we indulge in some heated boss-employee roleplay when I stop by to visit.

Shortly after I arrived back in Sycamore Falls, I received an email from one of the many nonprofits I applied to, asking if I had any grant writing experience. Luckily, I did. And the best part is I’m able to work remotely, only needing to go to their Los Angeles office on rare occasions. It’s the perfect job for me right now while I settle into this new chapter of my life and figure out what I want my future to look like.

For now, I’m happy to just enjoy the moment.

As I approach the stop sign on Main Street, my foot eases off the gas and I slow to a gentle roll. The sun casts a warm glow on the familiar street with its quaint shops and picturesque sidewalks. My lips curve up at the reminder of what happened in this exact spot one year ago.

I’ve often wondered what my life would look like if I hadn’t been pulled over and learned that Carson had reported my car as stolen. If I hadn’t spotted the taproom and decided to go for a drink.

If I hadn’t met Jude.

I can’t imagine my life without him in it.

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