Page 85 of The Promises We Broke
"And how is it going, day by day?"
I thought about staying at Gage's cottage most nights this week, about waking up in his arms, about the way he made me breakfast and looked at me like I was the most precious thing in his world.
"It's going really well," I said softly.
"I can hear the smile in your voice. I'm so happy for you both."
After I hung up with Blake, I drove to work with a smile on my face and a song on the radio that seemed written specifically for this moment in my life. Everything felt brighter, more vivid, like falling in love had adjusted the contrast on the world around me.
At the rehabilitation center, I threw myself into my work with renewed energy. There was something deeply satisfying about helping people rebuild their lives after trauma, about being part of their journey from broken to whole. Maybe because I was on a similar journey myself.
"You seem cheerful today," Xander observed during our weekly staff meeting.
"I am cheerful."
"Good. You deserve to be happy."
"Thank you." I studied his face, noting the contentment that seemed to radiate from him these days. "How about you? Are you happy?"
"Incredibly," he said without hesitation, his smile genuine and warm. "Blake, Amelia... I never thought I could have this kind of life."
"You deserve it," I said softly. "All of it."
"Most days I believe that now." He glanced toward the house where I knew Blake and baby Amelia were probably getting ready for the day. "Amelia's walking now, you know. Started a few weeks ago. Blake cried happy tears for an hour. And the house is almost ready. The contractor is just laying the flooring and then we can finally move into our own place."
"That's wonderful. Amelia is growing up so fast. I bet Blake can't wait to get settled into your new place."
"Too fast," he said with a laugh. "But watching Blake with her, seeing how natural she is as a mother... it just reinforces how lucky I am that they both chose me."
"From what I can see, the feeling is mutual."
That evening, Gage and I walked through downtown Willowbrook after dinner, our hands linked, our breath making clouds in the crisp November air. The town looked different at night. Smaller somehow, more intimate, like a snow globe world where nothing bad could ever happen.
"Penny for your thoughts," Gage said as we paused outside the bookstore.
"Just thinking about how different everything feels now," I said. "A month ago, I was terrified of even having coffee with you. Now..."
"Now?"
"Now I can't imagine my life without you in it."
He stopped walking and turned to face me, his expression serious in the dim streetlight. "You don't have to imagine it. I'm not going anywhere, Billie. Not ever again."
"Promise?"
"Promise." He cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones. "Whatever comes, whatever we face, we face it together. That's what partnerships mean—you don't run when things get complicated."
"What if I'm the one who gets scared and wants to run?"
"Then I'll remind you why you stayed. Every day, for as long as it takes."
The certainty in his voice, the unwavering faith he had in us, made my chest tight with emotion.
"I love you," I whispered.
"I love you too." He kissed me softly, right there on Main Street where anyone could see. "Come on, let's head back."
As we walked toward Booker's truck he'd borrowed for our day in town, I found myself thinking about Aunt Helen's not-so-subtle hints this morning. Was it too soon to consider moving in together? We'd only been officially together for a month, but it felt like we'd been building toward this for months. And the practical reality was that I was spending most nights at his cottage anyway.
