Page 118 of Yours, Finally

"Not at all. Even if I didn't love him romantically, I'd want him around. He is part of our world."

"You love him." Lina smiled. "Maybe it's a good reason to push through."

The words darted to my heart. Through my blood, they reached every part of me.

I grinned. There were no doubts. Mistakes or not, I loved Jake, and I wanted to stay with him.

And perhaps, he was part of the reason why I broke up with my exes so easily, or why I had never been heartbroken. It was never about something wrong with me; my exes had simply not been Jake.

I shook my head at myself. "I thought love was supposed to feel like being finally at peace. Like everything was in its place. Nothing has been easy with Jake… and it doesn't change what I feel for him."

"Love feels like that, warm and safe. But we all come with some sort of baggage that gets in the way. That's when we have to choose love."

The sound of keys and a door clicking open had Lina and I jumping off our island stools.

Gabe came into the condo with a happy smile on his face. "Oh! Vi! I didn't realize you'd be here."

He reached us and gave Lina a kiss on the cheek.

I crossed my arms. "I can't believe you faked dating Lina."

My brother startled. He stared at Lina.

She smirked. "I thought she could use some validation."

Gabe pursed his lips and considered us. "Why? Because she and Jake were hiding a relationship and she panicked at our kitchen island?"

I gasped. Lina laughed. Gabe chuckled, and gave me a kiss on the cheek too.

"I'm happy for the two of you," he said.

"How did you know?"

"Jake confessed his love for you…" he checked his watch. "An hour ago."

I melted at the idea of Jake telling Gabe he loved me. That he did as he said he would.

"You love him, too?" Gabe's eyes were soft as he studied me.

I nodded. "I have for a while, I think. I was just too scared to label it for what it was, just in case I was wrong and it lost me a relationship like our parents."

"I can relate to wanting the same." He put a hand around Lina's waist and brought her close. "I found it. I think you did, too."

"I know you worry about the mistakes," Lina added. "But it's in moments of hardship that people show you their true colors…"

"And what Jake is showing me is something I believe in." I smiled at them.

Unlike with my exes, who I never cared about enough to do the hard things for or to fix it. Maybe my friends had been right and I chose the wrong guys but, then again, maybe that had been on purpose. Those relationships were doomed because I was already in love with someone else, even when I didn't know it for what it was.

Gabe hugged me, and Lina followed.

"Thank you both," I said. "I'm not stressed about it anymore. Jake and I will deal with the consequences of our choices, and it'll be fine." I shrugged. "Then we'll be free to just… be together."

"No awkward'we can't share the same space or we'll jump each other'vibes anymore". Lina smirked.

Gabe nodded. "No awkward glances between the two of you making me want to shake you both by the shoulders."

"Stop!" I laughed. "I didn't think we were that obvious."