Page 109 of Where We Call Home

I reached up, brushing away the tear that slipped down his cheek with the pad of my thumb. His eyes closed at the touch, and he drew in a deep inhale, holding it for a moment before releasing it, a long exhale that seemed to carry the weight he’d been carrying. I stayed quiet, patient, as he repeated the motion, each breath lighter than the last.

Quietly, I began to count backward from five, my voice calm and deliberate, letting him know I was here, that he was safe. His eyes shot open on the last count, locking onto mine. The intensity in his gaze rooted me to the spot, the stillness between us thick and consuming.

“Why did you come down here, Theo?” Rhodes asked, his voice low and curious. His head tilted slightly, and his hands moved to rest on the tops of my thighs.

He knew me too well. He could tell there was more to my presence than comfort. There was no avoiding or denying it, he needed to hear everything I’d been holding back.

“I—” I paused, searching for the right words, my throat tightening with the weight of what I wanted to say. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About who I’m becoming. About where the last few months have taken me and where I want to be in the months ahead.”

I shifted slightly closer, my knees pressing into him.

“I’ve experienced something I didn’t realize I was missing, a kind of love and support I didn’t know I craved until I finally felt it. For so long, I relied only on myself, out of fear. Fear of letting people in. Fear that they’d leave.”

Recognition flickered across Rhodes’s face, and I swallowed hard.

“You saw that. You felt it,” I continued, my voice trembling but resolute. “And instead of letting me drown in it, you taught me to swim. You didn’t just jump in and fix all my problems. You showed me the way, set an example, and gave me the space to figure it out for myself.”

Every word brought me closer to the truth I’d been skirting around, the confession that made my heart pound like thunder in my chest. It wasn’t easy. I wasn’t used to this kind of vulnerability, but I knew if I didn’t take the chance, nothing would change.

I shifted closer, leaning in until our faces were so close I could feel the warmth of his breath.

“Seeing this box, these memories…” My voice softened, heavy with emotion. “I know it might make you feel like you’re not enough, like you’re unworthy of love. But that’s not true. She didn’t leave becauseyouwere lacking. She left because she was a fool.”

Rhodes’ expression broke, his guarded vulnerability melting into something open and raw.

I leaned closer still, our lips separated by just a whisper of space. My heart raced as I finally let the words fall, the three words that had been building inside me, aching to be said.

“I love you.”

I pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his lips, and he melted into the touch. His arms came around me, pulling me closer, grounding me in the moment.

And in that quiet, intimate space, the weight of my confessions filled the air, weaving us together in a way that felt unshakable.

“I want you in every part of my life,” I said, my voice trembling with the weight of the confession. “You’ve broken down my walls and wiggled your way into my heart. I can’t imagine a time or place where you aren’t the center of my attention.”

Rhodes’s gaze softened, his eyes searching mine. “I came down here to get rid of this box,” he began, his voice low, the perfect balance of husky and tender. “It’s the last tie I had to her, and I needed to let it go. To throw it away and make space, make space for what’s right in front of me.”

He exhaled deeply, his shoulders relaxing as his words spilled out like a confession. “You’re that space, Theo. You’re the opportunity I didn’t know I was waiting for. You’re the one who showed me it was okay to leave that part of my history behind. Being with you, cherishing you, and receiving your care and love… it erased all the awful things I believed about myself. You’ve made me see I’m worthy of love.”

My heart clenched at his words, the sheer vulnerability of his declaration sinking into me. I smiled, the warmth of his love wrapping around me like a comforting embrace.

“I love you, too, if that wasn’t already clear,” Rhodes said, a teasing laugh escaping him. He leaned in, capturing my lips with his. The kiss wasn’t rushed or frantic—it was unhurried, deliberate, the kind that made me feel every ounce of his affection and devotion.

“Crystal,” I murmured against his lips, my smile pressing into his.

Rhodes pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his smirk lingering. “Thank you,” he said, his voice brimming with sincerity. “Thank you for trusting me enough to let those walls down. I promise I’ll take care of your heart and be the man your father would expect me to be.”

His words shattered me in the best way, the floodgates opening as tears spilled down my cheeks. My breath hitched, and Rhodes leaned in, kissing the wet trails with a tenderness that made my chest ache.

“You and that little girl in there,” he said, his hand sliding to rest on my growing belly, warm and steady, “will always be my number one priority.”

My stomach fluttered in perfect timing, and as if on cue, the baby shifted, brushing against Rhodes’s hand.

He stilled, his face lighting up with awe. “She loves you, too,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.

“I have to tell you something,” I said, leaning closer to him. My lips brushed his ear as I whispered the secret I hadn’t told a soul.

Rhodes’s eyes widened for a split second before softening with understanding. His expression was gentle, a quiet acceptance radiating from him. He nodded, his lips finding mine again—once, twice, and then a third time, each kiss more certain than the last.

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