Page 131 of Janessa

She narrowed her gaze at him for a moment, then laughed. “Both? I’m always going to be both when it comes to you.”

“I think I can live with that,” Will said. “And to answer your question, I’m doing okay. My bones seem to be healing well. My arm cast should be off soon. The leg one is on for a few more weeks. How about yours?”

“I hope to get it off after Christmas.”

“Once my arm is free, I should be able to use crutches and not rely on my folks as much. Hopefully be able to get back to teaching.”

Janessa’s expression turned sympathetic. “I’m sure not being able to teach is difficult for you.”

Will nodded. “I’ve worried about the students. Jay has said that some of the guys on the team have told him that they don’t like the sub they’ve had. I’m concerned they’re not getting the teaching they need.”

Janessa lifted his hand and pressed it to her cheek. “The way you care about your students is one of the many things I love about you.”

Emotion choked Will for a moment. He’d thought he’d never hear those words from her again. “I love you too.”

Though Will was over the moon with how their conversation had turned out, there was one more thing he needed to understand. Something that he’d allowed to be shoved to the side, but it had never set well with him.

“Can I ask you a question?” Will asked. Janessa’s eyes widened a bit, but she nodded. “What happened this summer? Why were you so angry at me?”

Janessa’s gaze dropped for a moment, but after a couple of blinks, she looked back at him again. “Jay had shut me out, and I was terrified about what was wrong. My mind went to the worst-case scenario, and all I could imagine was that he’d received a horrible diagnosis, and I was going to lose him. He wouldn’t talk to me, so I turned to you, hoping that you’d care enough about me to tell me what was going on.”

Will’s heart ached as he realized that she’d taken his unwillingness to share Jay’s secret as him not caring for her. He’d tried to convince Jay to talk to her and the rest of his family, but he’d refused. It hadn’t been Will’s place to share what was going on, but if he’d realized what was going on in Janessa’s mind, he might have made an exception.

That was the thing about being in on a secret like Jay’s. Because he knew what was happening, he hadn’t realized what others might assume based on Jay’s actions. That the worst-case scenarios would be so alarming, especially in Janessa’s case. And, of course, she wouldn’t have shared what she was thinking and why.

Will knew that Gareth would have brushed aside her concern that Jay was dealing with a health crisis because he wouldn’t have been looking at the situation through Janessa’s trauma. Even he hadn’t considered that Janessa would have had that reaction, and now he felt horrible about that.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” Will said. “I wish I had known…”

Janessa shrugged, then gave him a small half-smile. “No one knew because I didn’t tell anyone. Unfortunately, what happened with Jay really triggered my fear, bringing it to life in a way it hadn’t been before.”

“No more secrets,” Will told her. “You’re my priority now. I’ll tell Jay that I won’t be keeping any significant secrets from you again.”

“Significant?” Janessa asked with an arched brow.

“Well, I’m certainly not going to tell you what he’s getting you for your birthday.”

Janessa’s smile grew. “Okay. You can keep that secret.”

Will grinned back at her, but then sobered again. “Seriously though. I’m so sorry. I never would have wanted to hurt you like that, and if I’d realized how upset you were, I would’ve tried harder to convince Jay that even if he told no one else, he needed to tell you the truth.”

With a little maneuvering, Will leaned forward to cup his hand against Janessa’s cheek, rubbing his thumb on the soft skin along her cheekbone. He wished he had the use of both hands, but Janessa didn’t seem to care as she placed her hand over his and leaned into it.

“Thank you for being willing to take me on even though I’m dealing with this issue,” Janessa said. “I know it won’t be easy.”

“It is absolutely my joy to walk this journey with you.”

“There are plenty of people who wouldn’t feel the same.”

“Their loss,” Will assured her. “And you’re surrounded by plenty of people who feel the same way I do.”

Janessa lowered their hands then leaned towards him. Though it was a bit awkward, they managed to get close enough to share a soft, lingering kiss.

It was a kiss that Will would cherish forever. It felt even more significant than their very first kiss. This time, they’d gone through a storm and come out the other side, more committed than ever.

The kiss was a celebration of their love, but also a promise of their renewed commitment to each other and to their relationship.

Their bodies might be fractured, but with their relationship mended, Will couldn’t be more grateful to God for protecting them and guiding them back to each other. He hoped that in taking this step of faith together, he and Janessa would continue to lean on God as much as they leaned on each other.

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