Page 78 of Breathless

She smirks at me. “You have no idea.” With a chuckle, she presses a sweet kiss on my lips and then hops out of the truck when we park in front of the modesthome.

I link our hands together and then knock on the door. A young couple answers, and I explain that Joey used to live here and her brother sold the property. I leave out the drama because there’s a lot of it. “We were wondering if he left any of her belongingsbehind.”

“Oh! Yes, we were just about to toss everything out. I’m glad you stopped by!” The woman, Melanie, ushers us in past her husband, who gives us a friendly wave. “I would’ve felt terrible if you’d been toolate.”

As she leads us to the back bedroom, I note the house has been painted and the floors shine like new. It’s obvious this couple is taking good care of it, and a part of me is pained I couldn’t buy this property for Jo and renovate it for her the way this familydid.

“Take your time, and let us know if you need help carrying anything.” Melanie shuts the door behind us, leaving us in what used to be Joey’s oldroom.

“That asshole left my things here!” Jojo takes in the piles of clothes and memorabilia. It’s been shoved into the corner to make room for a crib and a rocker. It’s a strange sight since half of the room looks like a scene from that TV showHoarders. It’s not just Joey’s stuff. It’s a mixture of household items and random things piled high on what I’m assuming are her belongings. At least, I hope theyare.

I rub her shoulders. She has to be pissed because she rarely curses. I don’t blame her for being upset, but I hate to see her on the verge oftears.

“Look on the bright side, Bitsy. At least you’re getting your things back. Silas could’ve just tossed them into thegarbage.”

That asshole is always hurting his sister. The next time I see Silas, I might have to break his goddamnface.

Forcing myself to calm down, I take a deepbreath.

She starts to sniffle, and I wrap my arms around her. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll get your things organizedagain.”

I don’t mention the other questions I have, like what happened to her grandmother’s or mother’s belongings. Maybe some of them are in the pile, but it’s hard totell.

Silas wasn’t always a dick. When we were kids, he was rough around the edges, but given who his father was, I figured he was doing better than his old man. Turns out, he’s just like that asshole—an abusive addict who only cares about himself. And I’ll be damned if he hurts Joeyagain.

By the time we’re done loading the truck, it’s late. Although most of what we boxed up were Joey’s clothes and random kitchen stuff we’ll probably toss, she found an old box of photos. Thank God she was able to rescue something of sentimental value. At the end of the day, while I know she’s grateful to get some belongings back, those photos are worth more to her than anything else she owns. Those might be the only pics she has of hermom.

Joey’s quiet the rest of the night. I undress her and tuck her in my bed before I spoon her from behind. We don’t talk. We don’t have to. I guess that’s what being in love with my best friend islike.

The thought doesn’t scare the hell out of me like I figured itwould.

“I love you, Jo,” I whisper against her neck, the need to say it overwhelming any of my reservations. After talking to Isaiah this afternoon about his damn will, I don’t wanna hold back withJoey.

She stills. After a moment, she turns to face me. Her eyes are glassy with unshedtears.

“Don’t cry, baby. I’m sorry about your grandma’s house. I feel like an asshole for not taking you there sooner. I’m sorry for so many things. For not knowing what your brother was up to and trying to stop him from selling the house. For not helping you more with your grandma. For not stepping up to the plate and trying to build something real with yousooner.”

It kills me to know she’s hurting. I start to apologize again, but she places a finger over mylips.

We stare at each other, and even though she’s been crying and her eyes are puffy, she’s still the most beautiful woman I know. She’s pure of heart and loving and means the world tome.

She takes a shuddering breath. “I love you too,Logan.”

We grin at each other. I lean down to kiss her, never wanting this moment to end. It feels too good to have her in my arms. To know I mean so much toher.

As we move together, it strikes me that we haven’t been having sex. This isn’t fucking. As cheesy as it might sound, we’re making love. There’s no other way to describe it. I’ve been a damn fool to not see it sooner. The thought that I could’ve lost this, lost her, because I was too busy screwing around or being preoccupied isoverwhelming.

She needs to know aboutSamantha.

My conversation with Isaiah rings in my ears. He’s right—I can’t wait until Ethan gets married. I have to tell Jo now. I don’t want to keep anything from heranymore.

My eyes travel over her. The girl’s been through the wringer tonight, so maybe right this moment isn’t the best time. But tomorrow. As soon as I get home from work, I’ll sit her down and tell her everything. Joey is the most supportive person I know, she’ll understand. As long as I can explain how it happened, it’ll be okay. It has to be. Because I can’t lose thisgirl.

32

Joey

Laughter bubblesout of me as I scramble across the bed. I’m buck naked, the sun is out, and I can’t seem to give a flying flip that Logan is getting an unobstructed view of mybackside.

---