Page 110 of Breaking News

“You ought to be able to get a tenured position at the university, right?” David questioned.

I sighed. “I actually missed my opportunity for that. I’m not sure there will be another full-time teaching position for a while.”

“Well, opportunities are bound to come your way,” Arthur said with an enthusiastic hand wave. “I’d be happy to write you a letter of recommendation.”

“I would appreciate that.”

My mind drifted to the opening atIndyStar, remembering I had yet to mention it to Xander. But I would. It was only fair.

However, it didn’t mean I couldn’t throw my hat in the ring, too.

My mind barely registered the conversation as it drifted to David’s sunburn and some joke about Jack’s boat taking on water last summer. I’d already checked out, dissociating through the next steps to formalize my resignation before we said our goodbyes.

Arthur closed his laptop and we both stood up, shaking hands. “I’ll forward my official resignation letter by the end of the day,” I said.

“Take care of yourself. And her,” he said, giving my hand a firm squeeze before letting go. And then he slipped out, the door clicking softly behind him.

I stood there for a minute with my fingers in my hair, staring at the empty room before me. And then I turned against the wall, bracing myself with both hands as my new reality began to sink in.

I had nothing but a part-time job, which was barely a safety net. No plan. No stability. And I was in love with a woman who deserved so much better than the mess standing in front of her.

What could I give her?

A hand on my back startled me—I hadn’t even heard the door reopen. But somehow, I knew it was her. I collapsed against her without hesitation, knowing everyone could see us through the glass. I didn’t care.

I melted into her anyway.

It felt like she was holding me up. Like if she let go, I might actually crumble right there in front of her. I breathed in the scent of her hair, feeling her fingers curl around the back of my neck as she pulled me even closer. “I just resigned,” I said, my words muffled against the side of her head. “And I don’t have a plan or even a clue for what comes next.”

Jill squeezed me a little tighter, her hands trailing down my back. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

I pulled back just enough to see her worried face. “No, don’t apologize,” I said gently. “Let’s set something straight right now. Being with you is the only thing that’s felt right lately. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

She responded with a tearful nod, agreeing.

I wouldn’t mention the other option that had been floated during that meeting. The one where I could’ve kept my job if I’d been willing to deny everything and distance myself from her.

Because to me, that had never really been an option at all—and she’d end up blaming herself for my departure.

But try as I might, I couldn’t completely hide my distress. I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat, breathing in her scent before I said, “I’m terrified I won’t be able to support Olivia and the baby.”

Jill brought her hands to my face, her soft palms resting on my cheeks as she held my gaze. “You’ll figure it out, because that’s what you do. And you won’t be doin’ it alone, either, ‘cause I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

My lips twitched upward into my first genuine smile of the day. Partly because of that sweet drawl slipping through, butmostly because of the words themselves. She wasinthis. With me.

“What?” she asked, smiling right along with me even though she had no idea what was so amusing at that moment. It didn’t matter. Before long, we were smiling at each other like a couple of idiots while a half a dozen people on the other side of the glass pretended not to watch.

“I love you,” I said, with the kind of certainty I hadn’t felt all day. I didn’t know what the next weeks or months would bring, but I knew, without a doubt, that I loved this woman.

Jill’s expression softened as her eyes scanned mine. Though she hesitated, I already knew I didn’t need to worry. Even if she couldn’t say it back, I felt it. I started to open my mouth, to tell her there was no pressure to reciprocate those words, but she drew in a deep breath before I could speak.

“That’s the first time a man has said that and I truly believed him. And it’s the first time I’ve wanted to say it back.” She held my face in her hands, running her thumbs along my cheekbones. “I love you so much, Graham. And whatever comes next, I want to be by your side. In public, preferably.”

I let out a hearty chuckle. “Yeah, I want that, too.”

“And I want to talk about you during tomorrow’s broadcast,” she said, with an almost alarming level of excitement in her voice. “Just to dispel some rumors. You probably haven’t seen it, but the comments are getting really out of hand.”

I scowled. “I told you not to read the comments.”

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