If Only (GxG)

Chapter 19 Closer

Alison: Hi baby, of course. I'll be there in 20 minutes. I'll text you when I'm outside.

Warmth bloomed in my chest, easing the tension in my shoulders.

I should've known she'd say yes.

And yet, as much as relief surged through me, there was an underlying flicker of doubt.

Alison had never met Luca—never been anywhere near this part of my life. I didn't want her near it.

I knew what she'd say if I told her that.

So, before she could get ahead of herself, I quickly typed—

Blake: Actually, it's fine, love. I'll figure something else out. Stay home, get some rest.

It only took her ten seconds to reply.

Alison: Blake.

I sighed, already knowing where this was going.

Alison: Do you want me to come get you?

I chewed the inside of my cheek, glaring at the tablecloth like it had personally offended me.

Blake: That's not the point.

Alison: That's exactly the point.

Stubborn. So stubborn.

Alison: I want to come get you. You want me to come get you. So let me.

My jaw tightened.

Blake: It's not that simple.

Her reply came instantly—

Alison: It is, actually. You send me the address, I drive over, you hop on the bike, and we ride into the sunset.

I huffed out something that was almost a laugh.

Blake: Dramatic.

Alison: I learned from the best.

I shook my head, but the thought of seeing her—of leaving this nightmare and being with her instead—was too much to resist.

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair before finally giving in.

Blake: Fine. But when you arrive, don't take off your helmet. These idiots don't need to see how pretty my girlfriend is.

Alison: That's fine. But I expect a kiss as payment.

Blake: We'll negotiate— I think you deserve several.

I leaned back in my chair, my posture finally relaxing slightly as I slid my phone away.

Luca, ever perceptive, raised a brow. "Something amusing?"

I smiled, slow and measured, unwilling to let him see just how close I had been to snapping. "You could say that."

Because in twenty minutes, I would be out of this hellscape, on the back of a motorbike, arms wrapped around the one person who had never asked me to be anything other than myself.

Alison.

A creature of warmth and light, of quiet defiance and boundless love.

I had never met anyone like her before.

She was kind in a way that wasn't performative. It wasn't the false, honeyed politeness of high society, the kind that masked agendas and power plays, the kind I had grown up drowning in. No—her kindness was woven into the very fabric of her being, stitched into the way she spoke, the way she fought for those she loved.