Page 178 of Chasing Infinity

“I can see that,” Addison says, nodding her head twice. “Doctors all over have researched and tried to come up with the correct measurements, but they haven’t been able to perfect it. But you,” she turns to Trish again, “were able to make it just like that?”

My aunt shrugs and picks at her fingernail. “I guess so.” She turns and shoots my mom a sideways grin. “Guess it’s a good thing I didn’t kill you, huh, Catie?”

My mother rolls her eyes, setting her glass of orange juice on the table. “Trust me. Even death would have been better than staying in that house one more day.”

The room falls silent at my mother’s admission, though no one challenges her.

I look over at Addison, who is watching my mom with an expression of compassion on her face. I know the two of them spent some time together last night. I can’t help but be a little curious about what they were talking about.

“Well, on that lovely note,” my aunt claps her hands, “how about those dishes? I’ve grown weary of this boring conversation. I’ll wash. Your lovely girlfriend gets to dry!”

Addison laughs but agrees, grabbing empty plates and glassware and bringing them over to the large sink. I sit back, sipping my coffee and watching her and my aunt chat in hushed tones as they soap up the plates and dry them off. If I had to take a guess, I’d wager they are talking more about my aunt’s concoction. The chemistry nerd deep down inside Parks is probably dying to know every little detail.

We spend the day with my mom and my aunt. Some of the women pop in and out, curious to see what we’re up to. A few latch themselves onto Addison and sit close to her as we play board games or chat mindlessly about the weather. I can’t help but be impressed with how Addison has so quickly immersed herself into this setting, though I shouldn’t be surprised. Addison is resilient and easily adaptable.

When the sun starts to set, I head back with Addison to our tiny cabin. She holds my hand the whole way but doesn’t say much. As soon as we’re back, I go out the back door to the patio and turn on the propane fire pit. I find two chairs and bring them closer to the fire so we can sit and stay warm. Parks is leaning on the counter in the kitchen, watching me curiously. She hasn’t taken her coat off yet, so I suspect she’s onto what my suggestion will be.

“Want a glass of wine?” I ask, and she nods her head. I find a chilled bottle of Chardonnay in the fridge and pour us each a hearty amount into stemmed wine glasses. Before we go outside, I have the sense of mind to grab us each a fluffy blanket. It’s still freezing, but hopefully, between the fire pit and the blankets, we’ll be cozy.

The two of us huddle out on the patio, each taking a seat and settling in. The fire is already roaring with life, fueled by propane, which is sufficient enough to cast a warm bubble of heat around us.

I quickly get lost in the ambiance of the night. My eyes track the wayward movements of the fire in front of us as the smoke swirls around in the darkness. I keep chancing glances at Addison sitting next to me. Her attention is focused on the flames, looking lost in thought. The shadows dart across her face, obscuring her from the light.

“Noah?” her soft voice asks into the night. I flash my eyes over to her, letting her know she has my attention. “I was wondering if I could ask you about something you said yesterday.”

My expression softens. “Of course, anything.”

She fiddles with her fingers, her eyes falling to her lap as if she’s embarrassed to ask what’s on her mind. “You said yesterday that you intended to marry me.”

A small smile plays on my lips, and I sit back in my chair, watching her. A small burst of pride swells in my chest at the thought of being able to call her mywifesomeday. “I did. Are you okay with that?”

She glances up at me before quickly looking back down at her fingers. A faint blush appears on her cheeks, and I fight off a smile. “I’m more than okay with that. It’s just—”

Now I sit forward again, my eyebrows pulling in at the middle as I frown at her. “Just what, Parks?”

Addison reaches for her wine glass, swirling around the white liquid as she purses her lips. “You brought me out here to prove a point, I understand that but—” her sentence trails off, and she shakes her head.

“It wasn’t to prove a point,” I interject. Addison’s eyes fly to me, and I hope she can see what I’m not saying as I gaze at her intently. “I realize that I went a little crazy the other night and that you deserved an explanation. This is all this is. I didn’t feel like any explanation I could come up with would do the truth justice.”

“I am grateful that you finally included me in this. I was talking with your mom some last night,” she says, running her finger over the rim of her glass. I realize this is the first chance we’ve had to really talk one-on-one all day. “She seems to think that the threat your father poses is legitimate.”

I nod my head. “It is. He’s after me, and the easiest way to get to me would be by using you. You’re only involved through me, which is…eating me up inside.”

“I guess, with that in mind, I understand now why you were so frazzled the other night,” Addison says, taking my hand and squeezing it.

I let out a sigh, knowing that she can’t possibly understand. I appreciate her effort, though, and I offer her a tight smile. “Yeah. Still, I handled it like shit.”

She chuckles and nods her head. “You did, but I forgive you. A lot has happened since you came back last month, and we’re still trying to learn how to work together. But—” she trails off, and my stomach clenches at whatever she’s about to add on. “I can’t stay here, Noah. If you brought me here hoping that I would want to stay….”

“I didn’t,” I shake my head fervently, hoping she’ll believe me. “That’s not what this was.”

“There are a lot of people counting on me at home. It’s only me now at the Diner—and Jack. It’s my responsibility to be there to make sure that everything is running smoothly. I can’t just pick up my life willy-nilly and run off whenever you’re worried something will happen to me.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way,” I say, reaching for her hand. I twine my fingers into hers and exhale.

We both fall silent, letting my eyes study every fine detail of her beautiful face. Finally, I let go of her hand, scooting my chair closer to hers. I reach for her again, resting my large hand on the side of her delicate neck. My thumb soothes over her cheek, appreciating the feel of her warm skin under my palm. Addison’s wide eyes gaze up into mine, searching for something. A soft smile plays on her lips when she finds it, and my heart swells with love for her.

No matter how manic I was the other night, I’ll never be able to get over the peace that Addison is capable of bringing out in me. All these years I could have spent with her in quiet moments like this. She was made for me—my other half, the one person in this world who understands me in a way no one else does.

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