Page 152 of Wreckage

She wiped at her tear-streaked face, laughing softly.

“I love you,” she whispered, looking at us.

Troy smirked, tilting her chin up.

“You better,” he teased. “We just bought you a house.”

Her eyes widened, glancing around again like she was really seeing it for the first time.

Her lips parted, and then she looked back at us. “You—you bought this for us?”

“For you,” I corrected.

I grabbed her hand and led her down the hall, stopping at a set of double doors.

She arched a brow.

I pushed them open, revealing her dream of a full in-home dance studio, mirrors lining the walls, a wooden barre, and a perfectly polished floor made just for her.

Elena gasped, stepping inside and running her fingers along the barre.

Troy came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, his chin on her shoulder.

“Wait,” he murmured. “There’s more.”

"What more could there be?" she asked, laughing softly.

I retook her hand and led her to another room, opening the door to reveal?—

A library.

Massive bookshelves, plush seating, warm lighting—a haven for her and me.

She released a soft breath, turning in my arms, her blue eyes shining with adoration and affection.

She brushed my hair back, her fingertips lingering against my jaw.

“This is perfect,” she whispered.

I smiled, pressing my forehead against hers.

“No, butterfly,” I murmured. “You’re perfect, and this is just the beginning.”

As she turned to admire the shelves, running her fingers along the books, I just watched her.

And I thought about everything it took to get here.

The pain.

The fear.

The darkness that nearly swallowed us whole.

There was a time when I thought we’d never make it out. A time I thought we’d never be whole again.

But the wilderness had shaped us. It stripped us raw and rebuilt us into something unshakable. Something stronger. Something unbreakable.

I wouldn’t change a second of it.

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