Page 98 of Exes That Puck
“I love you so fucking much. I’m not just giving up on you. I want to try right this time. Not just keep repeating the same patterns and hoping for different results.”
She nods slowly. “I’d like that too.”
I stand up and sit on the bed beside her. “Come here?”
She leans into me, and I wrap my arms around her. She feels different somehow, not fragile but honest. Like she’s stopped carrying secrets that were too heavy for her.
“This is going to take time,” she says into my chest.
“We have time.”
“What if I can’t change?”
“And what if I don’t? I might still get defensive when you do. But at least now we know what we’re dealing with.”
She pulls back to look at me. “So we’re really doing this? Actually trying instead of just winging it?”
“Yeah. We’re doing this.” I grab her chin. “I love you, Kara.”
“I love you too,” she whispers, leaning in to kiss me.
This kiss feels really good like we’re finally passing a pivotal point in our relationship. We’re not trying to prove a point to each other anymore, it’s obvious that we keep choosing each other. I can taste the salt from her tears, feel the way she relaxes into me like she’s finally letting her guard down completely.
When we break apart, I rest my forehead against hers. “Are you sure about this? I’m what you want?”
She grabs my face. “I’m in love with you, Zeke. I can’t stop thinking about how I fucked everything up.”
I kiss her. “Yeah?”
She kisses me. “Yeah… and this time, can we just be us? Not trying to make up for fighting or prove anything. Just us.”
I kiss her again, softer. “Just us.”
We take our time undressing each other, no urgency or desperation. Just the quiet intimacy of being with someone who knows all your broken pieces and wants you anyway. When she shivers, I pull the blanket around us, holding her close.
Every touch feels like a promise. Every whispered word feels like forgiveness. When she looks at me with bright eyes with tears but smiling, I understand what people mean when they talk about loving someone with your whole heart.
“I love you,” I murmur against her neck as we move together. “I love your stubborn streak and your morning hair and the way you hum when you’re doing homework.”
She laughs softly, threading her fingers through mine. “I love you too. Even when you annoy me and eat the last of everything.”
The sex is everything we need. I feel so fucking connected to her like maybe it will be different this time.
Afterward, we lie tangled together, her head on my chest, both of us quiet and content. I trace her shoulder while she rubs my abs.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks.
“How different this feels.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
I nod. “Like we’re not trying to fix something broken anymore. We’re just... here together.”
She lifts her head to look at me. “I’m not perfect, Zeke. I think we’ve had so many up and downs that we’ll know how to handle them properly.”
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I will give you all the space you need. I can live with that.”
“Good. Because I’m not going anywhere.”
