Page 78 of What We Broke

He rolls his hips into me one last time before my orgasm ripples through me. My body shudders from head to toe, Jesse’s own release following shortly after.

Limp and languid, I lie there completely boneless as Jesse collapses on top of me. I welcome the pressure as I run my fingers up and down his spine.

He is beautiful and completely sated. And all mine.

“Jesse.”

He raises his head, meeting my gaze.

“Marry me.”

CHAPTERNINETEEN

leo

NOW

“Hey.”I shove my hands in my pockets as Zara opens her front door. “Is she home?”

She nods, widening it enough for me to cross the threshold. “She’s in her bedroom.”

I lean in to kiss her on the cheek. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” she says. “Big day at work, but I’m just heading to forget all about it and jump into the bath with a book.”

“Did you tell her I was coming?”

She shakes her head. “You told me not to.”

“I know, but what if she doesn’t want to see me?”

“Maybe she won’t,” she says truthfully. “But you won’t know if you don’t try.”

So much has happened. To all of us. And I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that there is no right or wrong, or tried and true, way to deal with grief.

Every stage looked different for every person.

But what I do know? Despite the way grief manifested for each of us, as Raine’s father, I had dropped the ball.

And I am her father. No matter what ugly insecurity reared its head at the most inopportune times, I am her father and I’d failed her.

Spectacularly.

I’m standing here staring at her bedroom door, straightening my clothes, as if the way I look is going to fix any of the damage I’ve done, when Zara’s hand reaches over my shoulder and her knuckles rap against the wood.

“You can thank me later,” she whispers before walking to her own bedroom.

“Come in,” a soft voice calls out.

I rub my clammy hands together before turning the handle and pushing the door open to find her lying on her stomach across her double-sized bed, feet in the air, hands flying over the keyboard of her laptop.

She doesn’t look up, and I’m certain it’s because she’s only expecting the interruption to be Zara.

I clear my throat. “Can I come in?”

Her head whips up at the sound of my voice, her expression completely unreadable. I wait for a sign or any indication that she doesn’t want me here, even some words to leave her mouth and tell me to get out, but she’s completely stunned.

She sits herself up and opens her mouth, and I watch a myriad of emotions cross her features as she struggles to speak. She tries again, but this time it’s nothing but her quickening breath turning into her gasping for air.

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