Page 106 of Home in Nevada

“This will never not be fun with you…” I say, still grinning.

Jamie’s breath hitches for a second. Then I lace my fingers through his hair and kiss him hard as we fall back onto the mattress. His hands skim over my shoulders, warm and familiar, and—fuck—this feeling.

That wild, beautiful, overwhelming feeling.

Loving Jamie always sweeps me off my goddamn feet when it hits me like this.

“I’m so mad I didn’t get to do this with you earlier,” I whisper, my voice rough in my own ears. “All those times… I hate thinking about everything I missed, back when I was running from all this shit, Jamie.”

He kisses me again, and again, letting out a low hum before finally pulling back.

“You’re doing a pretty good job convincing me,” he murmurs, “but I’m not totally convinced yet…” His smirk is downright dangerous.

I grin, my heart thudding.

Because I’m not just telling Jamie why I wanted to punch Brandon in his stupid, perfect jaw. I’m trying to tell him something more.

Something bigger.

So I roll off him and head for the dresser.

Jamie watches curiously as I rummage through a drawer, pulling out a few things—and finally, the little red envelope he always keeps tucked away.

I toss it onto his chest.

Jamie places a hand over it immediately. He knows what it is before he even looks.

He props himself up on one elbow, eyes misty.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“…What?” Jamie sits up, still naked on the bed, the sheets a mess beneath him. His face is flushed—cheeks glowing as red as the envelope in his hands. It’s rare and downright adorable.

“Does that convince you?” I ask, my heart still racing.

God, he’s gorgeous. I can’t believe I’m here. I can’t believe I get to live with the love of my life.

Jamie looks like he might cry, and for a second, I wonder if I messed up—if sharing exactly what I was thinking was too much, too intense for his lighthearted joke.

“Jamie, I can’t believe… where we are now,” I say, glancing around the room. There are still boxes of clothes stacked in the corner. “Isn’t it weird?”

Jamie smiles, even as his eyes stay glassy with unshed tears. He rubs his fingers over the envelope. “It’s not weird.”

“Yeah, it is, bro.” I grin. “Just like that stupid diary page you’re holding.”

Jamie huffs a laugh, his smile widening. “Whatever. It’snotweird…” His voice softens. “I mean, besides your obsession with Sprite, which is pretty weird… It’s beautiful. I love you so much.”

“Jamie… You drank almost all the Sprite.” I narrow my eyes at him. “You hadwaymore than half of it. I remember it vividly.”

I walk back over to the bed, plucking the envelope from his hands and putting it back in the dresser. Then, before he can react, I give him a slow, evil grin.

Jamie’s eyes widen. “Jeff—”

Too late. I pounce, zeroing in on the spot that makes him curl up instantly. He lets out a strangled yelp and nearly rolls off the bed.

“Jeff!”

“I love you too, bro,” I cackle, emphasizing the “bro” just to get under his skin.

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