Page 131 of American Beauty

My breath catches.

His hand traces a slow line up and down my spine. “You’re building something incredible in Charleston. I see how much it means to you. How much you love it.”

I lift my head, searching his eyes in the low light. I see the question there. And the truth is I’ve already asked myself that same question.

“I’m going to say what neither of us wants to bring up: one of us must relocate, which means one of us is going to give up life as we know it.”

My chest tightens. Because he’s right. Someone is going to let go of something big. And the thought of it guts me.

Alex has such a wonderful life in Sydney. A tight-knit family, not only in Australia but also in Samoa. So many people who love him, who’ve raised him. A family business built on legacy. Lifelong friends. And possibly a career in rugby again. Even if he’s not saying it yet, I can sense it. The door that was once closed is now open again.

What do I have in Charleston?

Violet. A business in its infancy. A tiny studio and a hopeful blueprint for a future I’ve only just started building. But there’s no blood there. No unshakable roots. No one waiting on me but the version of myself I’m still trying to become.

How can I ask him to give up everything he has when I have so little?

He brushes a strand of hair from my face. “I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t about who has more to give up.”

I pull back and meet his gaze. “But it matters, doesn’t it? You have so much there. And I love that for you. I could never ask you to walk away from it all. It wouldn’t be fair.”

He holds my stare for a long beat. “You’re not asking me for anything. We’re trying to figure this out—together. And we don’t have to have it all figured out tonight. We just need to agree that this is worth figuring out.”

I press a kiss to his chest, right over his heart. “It’s worth it. You’re everything to me.”

His hand curls around the back of my head as he holds me close. “We’ll figure it out.”

And we will.

Even if it remakes us in the process—we’ll find our way through. Because I love him too much to not try.

He exhales like he’s been holding the breath in for weeks. “Let’s get through the recovery first. Then we’ll revisit this.”

I kiss the corner of his mouth, letting the promise settle between us. “It’s you and me. Forever.”

His arms tighten around me again, and for the first time in days, the ache in my chest dulls.

We may not know where we’re going yet—but we’re going together.

Chapter 34

Magnolia Steel

It’s edgingpast office hours—the time when most people have shut their laptops and gone home. But not me. I’m still here, because building a business doesn’t happen on a nine-to-five schedule.

Swatches sprawl across the design table, a few notes jotted in the margin of an open sketchpad. One more thing to finish before I can call it a day.

The bell over the front door jingles.

I glance up, not alarmed. The woman from the bakery next door often brings me an end-of-the-day treat after closing time. I hope it’s a cupcake today. Red velvet with cream-cheese icing would be great. Hers are the best.

“Back here,” I call out.

No reply.

I glance up—and freeze.

He’s standing inside the doorway, the light casting his features in shadow. The broad frame, the dark, tousled hair, the sheer size of him—too big to be anyone else.

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