Page 120 of Somewhere We Belong

“Yup! Callum was helping another team and Nathan is at home with our baby,” she said, full of pride.

“That's awesome,” I said, wanting to become her best friend, but trying not to be too weird.

“We should go out to dinner and vent about our men,” Jane chuckled.

“I’m down,” I said immediately, flinching from being too quick to say yes.

“We can exchange numbers before you leave,” she said, looking down the hall. “It looks like your other man is back.”

“Thank you so much!” I yelled, walking to his room.

The nurses were helping him into his bed as I stood off to the side. They spoke to him in soft tones as he nodded, his eyes already drooping. As soon as they left, I rushed to his side.

“Atlas,” I teared up again.

“Hey, Starlight,” he murmured. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too; you scared the crap out of us,” I said, holding onto his hand.

“Sol and Theo are ok?” he asked.

“Great, just dehydrated,” I said, pushing his hair out of his face. “They are alive because of you.”

“Fuck, I was so scared, Nova,” he whispered. “All I could think about was getting Sol home to you no matter what, even if it meant I wasn’t coming home.”

“Thank you, but I needed you too, Atlas,” I said, kissing his forehead. “I love you.”

“Shit, Nova. Say it again, but this time say my name.” He pulled me closer.

“I love you, Atlas,” I murmured. “I almost didn’t stay in Sterling Ridge, but your act of kindness made me stay. Every time you left, it felt like you left us too and when you came back it was a relief, even if you weren’t mine at the time. Thank you for giving us somewhere we belong.”

“No, I should thank you. You gave us something I didn’t think any of us knew we needed,” he sighed. “I just hope it's not too?—”

The curtain to the room opened, startling both of us, and in walked Theo and Colt with Jane right behind them. She winked at me as she let them in. I mouthed a ‘thank you’ as she pulled the curtains closed and Theo rushed to Atlas.

“Are you ok? How do you feel? What did they say? I’m sorry I’m an asshole.” Theo spoke rapidly and Atlas chuckled.

“You’re not an asshole,” Atlas said. “It was stupid of?—”

“No, it’s not stupid, you’ve talked about this for years and I?—”

“Change is hard, I know, and the last thing I wanted to do was change this…us,” Atlas said, cupping Theo’s face.

“Jude was talking about moving to Denver and when I saw your letter, I panicked,” Theo whispered. “Losing Jude was going to be hard, but losing you both just made old feelings return and I let them get the best of me. I’m—I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok, Teddy,” Atlas said. “I love you and it’s going to take a lot more than us arguing to push me away.”

“I don’t want to be apart, so if this will make you happy, maybe I can find someone to run the ranch for me or sell?—”

“Don’t you dare sell it,” Atlas snapped. “I’m not going to San Francisco.”

“We could all go, and I’m sure Nova could find a job and Colt could work at a shop,” Theo said, looking over at us like he was pleading for us to say something.

“I don’t know if I would like a big city anymore,” I said, running my hands through Atlas’ hair.

“I like my coworkers; they might be smelly and hard to move, but at least they don’t talk back to me,” Colt said behind me. “I say I miss it, but I’d probably hate it now.”

“But things would be so much better for you,” Theo said confused. “A small town is no place for you guys.”

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