Page 79 of Slow Burn (The Boston Beauties)

Finally, when everything else was opened, my father handed me a bag with an oddly wrapped present.

I tore into it and I felt my eyes widen. ‘A kite?’ I took it out and looked at it. ‘You remembered?’

He nodded. The first summer we were together, kids were forever flying kites on the beach. I had confided in him that when I was a child, I would fly kites with Breton, Josh and our father. I had smiled so much telling him the story that my cheeks cramped up. I went on to tell him that flying kites was one of my favorite childhood memories..

As I looked at the kite, realization dawned on me. ‘You made this, didn’t you?’

He nodded, taking it from me ‘Come, let's go fly a kite.’

He helped me to my feet. ‘But it’s freezing out there.’

‘So, wear a scarf, your mother did just give you one,’ he retorted. There was no way I was getting out of this.

We bunded up and he led me down to the beach, staying in view of the house.

He handed me the spindle before walking away from me to toss the kite in the air.

There was only a slight wind, but enough for it to catch the kite. ‘Let more of the line loose,’ he instructed me. I did and ran a bit for a good lift off, propelling it into the air.

I squinted up at the sky, there was writing painted on the tail of the kite. The white banner made up of nine white diamond shapes with letters drawn on with black sharpie: MARRY-ME? I looked at Drew as he was walking towards me, not letting his eyes leave mine. The kite fluttered to the ground and landed softly in the grass as he came within my reach.

‘Drew,’ I let out a breath as he lowered to his knees and pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket.

‘Jessa Cahill, from the first time I met you, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. Even when we all thought you were gone, I knew, deep down, that our story wasn’t over. Now I’ve been given this second chance with you, and I intend to make you mine for the rest of our lives…’ He looked up to me then opened the box. I instantly recognized my aunt’s ring, and I heard myself gasp and covered my mouth with my free hand.

‘Jessa, please do me the honor of being my wife.’

I felt a lone tear escape my eye as I nodded. ‘Yes,’ I exclaimed and stuck my left ring finger up to allow Drew to slide my aunt’s ring on it before bending over to kiss this man that meant everything to me, feeling more and more tears streaming down my face.

After pulling away, I admired the ring for a moment. ‘This was my great aunt's ring, how did you get yet?’

‘Your mom,’ he grinned, then looked up to the house, where I saw my family,ourfamily, gathered around the window watching our moment. This ring and his proposal was the final push I needed to crush any feelings of self-doubt that I might not be enough for him, there was hope in the promise of Drew’s love.

CHAPTER 26

DREW

January was the longest month in the history of time; it was the last day of the month, and it already felt like 900 days since Jessa left, while really, it had been thirty.

Dropping her and her mother off at the terminal in Providence Rhode Island on New Year's Day wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to start my year off. After nearly a month with her again and spending Christmas together, I wanted to start and end this year with Jessa at my side for the entire time.

She left with a plan, with Breton assuring me they had a timeline, and he promised me she would be back home with me soon, or at least back in Boston. Whether she went to jail or not, that was yet to be seen. I took some comfort in the fact that Abby was pretty confident that if we sold it properly to the authorities, there would be no jail time, potentially probation and likely legal fines. All of that hinged on Breton corroborating a story that limited the crimes Jessa had committed.

I had been keeping busy, but I'd never be too busy for Jessa. As it turned out, my schedule wasn't the issue. I wish I had listened to my gut and left with her, but I needed to take the time to prepare everything for the spring and summer, in addition to finishing the house for when Jessa moved back. Had I left, maybe things wouldn't have been so weird between us at the moment.

Things started to change a few days after she arrived back in Vegas, once she was settled and her mother came home for the week to ensure Steve wasn’t overdoing it. One day we were texting all day, laughing while we chatted before bed, then the next day it was as if a switch was flipped and she morphed into a different personal altogether.

It took her hours to get back to me, and when she did, it was only a text, and it felt forced, as if she only responded out of obligation.I wasn’t happy with it, but whatever, we were all allowed shitty days. So, I didn’t say anything about it.

But it was the start of a pattern, that even at the moment, I wasn’t sure how to break entirely.

The next few days were progressively bad, two days she only texted me after I texted and called her multiple times. Yeah, I wasthatguy!

JESSA:Drew, seriously, I’m all right, just very busy.

DREW:Call me?

JESSA:I’m in bed, chat soon.

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