Page 91 of We Can Stay
“Thank you,” I whisper to the inventory boxes. “I could have done better too, though. I didn’t even give you a chance to change. I just pushed you away.”
“You were scared. It happens.”
“Yeah.” Another tear follows the first, and I give up trying to stop them. “My illness isn’t the only thing I’ve been discussing in therapy. I... I freaked when it came to us. You were trying to manage me, yeah, but I could have given you an opportunity todo things differently. Talked everything through. Instead, I used it as an excuse, and I pushed you away. I was afraid because of—because of how close we were. How right it felt being with you. It wasn’t something that I was used to, and I didn’t know how to handle it.”
“Really?” The word cracks down the middle, all his professional composure crumbling.
“Yeah.” The room blurs through my tears. “But that’s my thing to change. I don’t want to cut and run anymore when things get hard in my relationships. I want to work things out and compromise. Be a team.”
“Hey.” He steps closer, closing the careful distance between us. His hand is impossibly gentle as it finds my face, thumb brushing away a tear before tilting my chin up. “I love you, Flick. If you’ll have me back, I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll prioritize you and me. Not just to keep you, but for me too. Because it’s also what I need. You helped me find me, gave me a reason to see who I want to be and realize what I’ve been missing.”
I turn into his touch like a flower seeking sun. “That sounds good. I’d really like for us to try again.” The words come out steady despite the tears. “I love you too, Sebastian.”
The joy that spreads across his face could power the whole island. He closes the last inches between us, and his lips find mine with the certainty of coming home. The kiss is everything our first one wasn’t—no hesitation, no holding back. Just the steady, sure knowledge that this is where we both belong.
My arms finally remember their purpose, sliding around his shoulders as he pulls me closer. His fingers press into my hips, anchoring us both. The familiar heat builds between us, pouring into every point of contact.
He spins me, backing toward what he thinks is the wall, but instead—crash. A box topples, its flaps bursting open to spillhanks of undyed wool across the floor like sheep escaping their pen.
Laughter bubbles up from somewhere deep. “Is that a sign that we really should organize in here?”
“Maybe.” His grin is boyish as he bends to gather the scattered yarn. “I’m probably pretty good at skeining. I’ve been watching a lot of Twitch videos about it.”
“Oh really?” My eyebrow arches, a challenge and invitation wrapped in one. “Then show me what you got.”
We work side by side, muscle memory guiding our hands even as we keep stealing glances. A knock interrupts our impromptu yarn-winding session.
“Everything okay?” Hannah’s voice filters through the cracked door.
“Yeah.” The word holds more truth than any I’ve spoken in weeks.
The door swings wider, revealing all four of my friends crowded in the doorway like kids peering into a candy store.
Alexis takes in our yarn-laden hands. “Are you... skeining that yarn?”
“Uh, maybe?” Sebastian’s sheepish grin makes him look ten years younger.
“O...kay. That’s the last thing I expected to see in here, but cool.”
“You need a part-time job, Sebastian?” Hannah’s eyes dance with mischief. “I could use the help.”
“Thanks, but I have enough on my plate.” He sets the yarn back in its box with surprising care. “I might take you up on some crochet lessons, though.”
“Flick’s not a good teacher?” Hannah plucks the yarn from my hands with a knowing wink.
“Actually...” His arm finds its way around my waist, fitting there like the last piece of a complex colorwork pattern. “She’s taught me quite a lot.”
Understanding ripples across my friends’ faces in a wave of barely suppressed grins.
“We can let you two get back to it.” Maya makes shooing motions at the others.
“It’s pretty stuffy in here, though.” Sebastian turns to me, concern flickering across his features. “And I didn’t mean to bust up your crafting session. I was only going to stop by for a bit.”
My heart plummets. “Oh.”
“You can’t leave.” Hannah’s frown deepens. “You two are...”
“Back together?” The question escapes before I can second-guess it.
