Page 33 of The Hang Up
Every sigh. Every moan. Every shift of her hips. It’s all familiar and new at the same time. Like rediscovering the home I thought I’d lost.
She says my name when she comes, and I swear it sounds like heaven.
Afterward, I roll onto my side, pulling her with me, our limbs tangled beneath the sheets. Her head rests on my shoulder, her fingertips tracing lazy circles on my chest.
“Can we stay like this forever?” she murmurs.
“Works for me,” I say, pressing a kiss to her hair.
We lie in silence for a while, the whisper of the lake outside the window soothing in its endless rhythm.
Eventually, Lena speaks again. “I talked to my mom.”
My body stills.
“I told her I was moving out. That I needed to start living for me.”
I turn my head to look at her. “How’d she take it?”
“She wasn’t thrilled. She yelled. A lot,” Lena admits. “Told me I was ungrateful. Said she needed me.”
I run my thumb over her bare shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head. “I’m not. Not anymore. I should’ve said something years ago.”
“You shouldn’t have had to.”
She falls quiet again before adding, “I told her I’d help her figure things out. But I’m not putting my life on hold for her anymore. I want something different.”
“You deserve something different,” I say, my voice thick with emotion.
She lifts her head to look at me, her eyes searching mine. “I haven’t told anyone else yet. Not even the girls.”
“You can tell them when you’re ready.”
She nods, then hesitates. “Holden?”
“Yeah?”
She bites her lip. “Would it be crazy if I asked to stay here for a bit? Just until I find a place.”
I sit up, heart racing. “Crazy? Lena, you can stay here forever if you want.”
She laughs, cheeks pink. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“No, I’m serious.” I grab her hand and lace our fingers. “Stay here. Please. Move in. I know it’s fast. I know it’s a lot. But it feels like we’ve finally found our way back, and I don’t want to waste a single second.”
Her eyes soften. “You’re sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
She looks around the room, then back at me. “Okay.”
That one word hits me like a punch to the chest.
Okay. It’s happening. She’s staying. We’re doing this for real this time.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and pull her into my arms, pressing kisses to her hair, her cheeks, her mouth.
