Page 179 of Forever Defiant
Her fingers traced my forehead, down my cheek, over my jaw, light and reverent. “I want it all,” she confessed, almost breathless. “But I’m also scared shitless that I might mess it up.”
I dropped a light kiss on her lips. “You won’t.”
Then I kissed her again — slow and unhurried, all promise and no rush — and she melted into it with a quiet sigh, her fingers curling into my shirt. When we pulled apart, she stayed close.
“I’m excited, though,” she admitted, “to see what we become.”
“Yeah,” I said, knowing how much I meant it. “Me too.”
We lay there talking about nothing and everything until her breathing evened out and sleep drifted in between us. I didn’t move.
I stayed still, listening to the slow rhythm of her breath, the steady weight of her against me, committing the moment tomemory like it was something I might need to hold on to later, even though I knew it wouldn’t be the last time she fell asleep against me. But still, I wanted to savor it.
I wasn’t rushing ahead.
Not to the next play.
Not to the next girl.
Not to the next season.
I wasn’t calculating outcomes or planning exits.
I was right at the beginning of something new. Something extraordinary. Knowing it wouldn’t be easy. Knowing it wouldn’t be simple. Knowing there were things waiting for us just beyond this moment that could tear it all apart. I could hear her breathing, and I could feel the weight of her at my side.
And still — not wanting to skip a single step.
Not this time.
Not with her beside me.
Epilogue
Noah
The four of them rounded the corner toward Savvy’s car and stopped dead when they saw me. All four jaws dropped at once.
“What?” I asked, lifting my brows liketheyweren’t the ones acting surprised. “You really thought you could go after this guy without taking me with you?” I held up the grocery bag. “I brought snacks.”
Dante recovered first. He grinned and held out his fist. “Sounds good,” he said.
I bumped him.
“What changed?” Dustin asked, fist-bumping me next.
“Well...” I didn’t look away. “We started this together.”
Hadley turned to Savvy, recovering almost as quickly as Dante. “So how do we all fit now?”
I got the front seat — tallest, longest legs. Nobody argued about it.
We made it three blocks before Dante demanded Savvy switch, took over driving, and shoved her into the back with Hadley and Dustin. Hadley curled into Dustin’s side. He didn’t complain. Not even a little.
They worked together easily — naturally. It was impressive. And kind of cool.
“I should never have punched you,” Dante suddenly said. “She’s... she’s Sav. I freaked out. But you’re still you, and I let you down. I was a dick. I’m sorry I fucked up our friendship.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. The part of me that wanted to agree — to tell him exactly how badly he’d fucked up — stayed quiet. That was the anger. I didn’t need it anymore.
