Page 66 of Rhys: and the girl who was always his

I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles whitening.

I need her to believe this isn’t temporary, that I’mnotgoing to wake up one day and decide she’s too much.

But she’s still scared, and I don’t know how to make her see that she doesn’t have to be.

She exhales shakily. “They’re all going to be there, aren’t they?”

I glance at her, taking in the tension in her shoulders, the way she’s bracing herself like she’s about to step onto a battlefield. “Yeah,” I answer honestly. “They wouldn’t let me bring you home without making sure you were okay when we get there.”

Her fingers tighten around the fabric of her skirt. “What if they’re mad?”

“They’re not mad, Ally.” I reach over, covering her hand with mine. “They just want you home.”

She doesn’t respond right away. I feel her fingers twitch under mine like she’s testing whether or not she can let herself hold on. After a moment, she slowly turns her palm up, intertwining our fingers together.

It’s small, but it’s enough.

By the time we pull up to the house, I feel her anxiety spiking all over again. She stares at the front door, her breathing uneven. I squeeze her hand once before letting go. “We don’t have to do this right now,” I say. “We can sit here for a bit if you need to.”

Ally shakes her head. “No. If I overthink it, I’ll just freak myself out more.”

I nod and get out of the car, walking around to her side. She hesitates before stepping out, and the second we reach the porch, the door swings open.

And then the houseerupts.

“About damn time!” Chase yells from the couch, a wide grin on his face as he raises his beer.

Ella rushes forward, wrapping Ally in a tight hug before she can even get a word out. “Don’t ever do that again,” she mutters, embracing her so hard that Ally releases a breathy laugh.

“I missed you too, El.”

Yasmin steps in next, her eyes glassy with unshed tears as she pulls Ally into a gentler hug. “Youscaredus,” she murmurs, her voice thick with emotion. “But we’re glad you’re back.”

Ashley leans against the back of the couch, smirking. “Told you he’d go get you.”

Ally flushes, and I swear I see a flicker of something—relief, maybe—behind her eyes. She glances up at me like she’s still struggling to accept that all of this is real. That she isn’t walking back into judgment or anger, justlove.

Arden is the last to step forward, arms crossed as he eyes her. “Do we even need to have a conversation about how dumb your reasons for running were?”

Ally swallows. “No.”

“Good.” He reaches out, ruffling her hair. “Then welcome home.”

A sense of relief washes over me as Ally softly laughs. I slide my arm around her waist, pulling her into my side, and this time, she doesn’t hesitate to lean into me.

The house is warm, louder than usual, but it’s comforting. Arden orders in Mushu’s, music plays low in the background, and in what feels likeforever, we’re all together again.

Ally still sticks close to me, but I can tell she’s slowly relaxing. Chase and Ella bicker over pizza toppings, Yasmin tells a ridiculous story from one of her university professors, and Ashley and Arden argue about something neither of them actually cares about. It’s familiar, chaotic,home.

At some point, I feel Ally’s fingers brush against mine, tentative at first, then firmer as she links them together. I glance down at her, but she’s already looking up at me. “Thank you,” she murmurs.

I squeeze her hand. “For what?”

“For not giving up on me.”

I lean in, pressing my lips to her temple. “Never.”

She exhales softly, shifting so she can tuck herself into my side. My arm tightens around her, and in that moment, I know.

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