Page 64 of The Fall Fix Up

“I want to stop being the guy who gets taken advantage of by family who takes and gives nothing in return because I feel too guilty to say no. I don’t want to feel like a burden anymore, especially to people who’ve shown me over and over that I’m not.”

For a moment, the noise of the festival blurred into a muted hum beyond them. Children were laughing and leaves were crunching beneath shoes as people walked this way and that, but in this moment, all Aiden could focus on was the way Janae’s expression shifted to something so fond that it was impossible to not pull her closer. Her arms settled around his shoulders as his settled around her waist and the warmth that enveloped him had Aiden sighing.

“Aiden, you are so far from a burden.”

The words crushed that ugly dark part in him that he’d been trying to ignore since he was a kid hearing apologies from his father that were always a little too late and too half-hearted to land well enough. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her unique scent along with the fragrant autumn air.

“I’m starting to believe that,” he whispered.

Janae squeezed him tighter, like she would hold him together by sheer force of will. When they finally pulled back, he saw equal parts pride and affection in her dark brown gaze. He leaned in, but before their lips could meet, a soft giggle drifted through the air, followed by another burst of high-pitched laughter. They turned and Aiden couldn’t help but chuckle at the two kids standing by the booth looking up at them with big toothy grins.

“They’re hugging,” one whispered loudly. “In public!”

Janae snorted. “We’ve been caught.”

Aiden shook his head, but even as he reluctantly pulled away, he couldn’t find it in him to be truly upset. Not when he’d gotten a little more off his chest. When he turned to the kids and crossed his arms, they giggled again before scampering away, no doubt off to terrorize someone else with their observations.

“Well, that was a little mortifying,” he said.

“A little,” Janae agreed, clearly amused. “We should probably issue a public apology or hold a seminar on public displays of affection.”

Aiden grinned. “Or we could just bribe them with funnel cakes.”

“That works too.”

There was a brief beat of silence between them—not awkward or heavy, just warm—before Janae leaned in and brushed a soft kiss across his lips. It wasn’t one of the deep kisses they shared behind closed doors, and it wasn’t showy like she was staking her claim. It was just a perfect representation of the same affection he felt for her. It felt a lot like a promise. When she pulled back, she reached out and gently cupped his cheek.

“Thank you for trusting me with all of this.”

“Thank you for listening and not judging me,” he replied.

Janae smiled before moving to set out more paints. The breeze rushed by again, making leaves somersault across the path in shades of rust and gold. Somewhere down the path, a volunteer yelled that the chili cook-off was starting and voices rose and fell in excitement. Life moved on around them, but Aiden stayed rooted in place beside Janae, helping her paint the eager faces of children who came by while his chest filled with something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

It felt a lot like hope. Hope that maybe he wasn’t broken beyond repair and that he could build something new. The next time Janae smiled at him, she invited him over to help paint one of the faces and Aiden went eagerly, happy to be included. He crouched down with a smile in front of a little girl with two braids and a crooked but radiant smile.

“Alright. What do you want me to paint on you today?”

“A lion!”

Aiden raised his eyebrows before looking helplessly over at Janae. She was looking at him with a smile that was more laughing at him than with him, but he didn’t mind. “A lion, huh? That’s a bold choice. I like it. Let’s do it.”

The little girl cheered, and Aiden chuckled as well, and Janae pushed over a paint palette. Their fingers brushed and that familiar spark rushed over his skin. Aiden was ready for it now, but it never failed to take his breath away, and when Janae’s smile went fond, he knew she felt it too.

Aiden felt something settle in his chest then—something solid and a lot like belonging.

Epilogue

Janae’s hands were shaking on the steering wheel, but not from dread, from excitement. “I’m officially divorced,” she said, the words still foreign on her tongue. “It’s finally over and I’m free.”

On the other end of the phone, Braeden shouted, the sound so joyful it made Janae laugh. “It’s about time that asshole gave it up. He stalled so damn much, and for what? You were never going to get back with him.”

Janae giggled. Braeden wasn’t wrong about that. Even if she didn’t have someone wonderful waiting at home, any love she’d had for Peter had well and truly died the moment he exposed his true colors.

“I’m so proud of you,” Braeden said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. “You’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. I hope you know that.”

Janae swallowed hard against the feeling in her chest. “It didn’t feel like I was strong for a long time, but . . .” She trailed off as her eyes burned with the feeling of accomplishment coursing through her. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“Sure you could have,” Braeden said. “It just would have taken longer, but you would have always gotten here. You deserved better and I think, deep down, you knew that better than anyone.”