LEAH
I pushed back from my computer and rubbed my eyelids, careful not to mess up my makeup. My eyes felt like lead weights in my skull.
Stupid blue light.
"Alright, love?"
My hands fell away from my face as I looked up.
James walked into the meeting room with a mug in his hand. He surveyed me from head to toe, concerned.
"I think I need blue light glasses," I grumbled.
"We can order some."
He set his mug down and planted his palms on the table. His fingers were long and lean, the nails cut short and clean.
How did looking at his hands make me instantly horny?
Biting back a smile, I glanced up at him. "So, what's up?"
"Julia has called for a family meeting."
I arched a brow. "What about?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." He shrugged but added, "I suspect this has something to do with Isabelle."
Chuckling, I nodded.
It had been two weeks since Isabelle and Ryan were here. Julia was always texting or calling or FaceTiming Isabelle. They were obsessed with each other. But I guess in a good way.
Isabelle was mildly insane but so was Julia. They both had complicated love lives but somehow they seemed to understand and balance each other.
I was genuinely happy for them.
"Maybe they're getting hitched," I joked.
James shot me a better-the-fuck-not look as we descended the stairs to the bottom floor of the house.
He ran his hand down my back, cupping my ass. I gasped a little and swatted his hand away.
"What?" he groaned. "You know I can't control myself when your wear that damn skirt. Your ass is perfect."
I laughed.
He went on into the living room while I filled a cup of coffee. By the time I joined, he and Isabelle were already arguing about something.
She sat cross-legged on the couch in sweatpants and a sports bra, her hair wrapped up in a ponytail. She wore zero traces of makeup, yet looked like a freaking movie star.
"You've only been talking for two weeks!" James snipped.
Oh boy. So this was definitely about Isabelle.
"Like that matters," Julia scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Look at you two! I don't think you're in any position to be ridiculing my relationship, brother."
I sat on the loveseat and curled my legs under me. "Wow, what did I miss?" I asked.
They both glanced at me for the first time since I stepped in.
"She wants to move in with Isabelle," he said very pointedly.
"I'm a fucking adult! I can do whatever I want!"
I took a sip of scalding coffee. "She's right, James. She and Isabelle can do whatever they want."
"Just because you're an adult and you can make your own decisions doesn't mean they're good decisions," he countered. "You two have no idea how you'd get along together. You've hung out once."
"She gets me. Like really gets me," Julia said. "I haven't been this emotionally invested in someone in a long time."
"And what will you tell Mother and Father?"
"Nothing. They've been absolute dickfaces. I'm not telling them anything."
"Okay. And what about a job? Where will you work down there?"
"I don't know. I'll figure it out. Jesus, it's not that big of a deal."
"It is a big deal. Not everything is a game, Julia. Your future is at stake here. Can't you see that?"
"My future is at stake now! What do I have going for me here? I can do just as well with Isabelle and be happier. Can't you see that?"
James shook his head, his chuckle humorless. "My vision is perfectly fucking clear. This will not end well for you."
"You're such a pessimist!" she sneered. "Why is it so hard to be happy for me?"
The tension was rapidly escalating between the two and my empath brain flailed at their outburst of emotion.
I set my coffee down and placed both palms on my knees.
"Hey, Jules," I said. "He just doesn't want you to get hurt again. Right?" I sent him a coarse look.
He sighed. "Yes. I don't want you to relive any of the things you barely survived the first time."
Tears gleamed in her doe eyes. She looked all vulnerable and fragile, just as I remembered her at Jarrod's memorial service.
My heart ached for her. She just wanted to feel understood, wanted, and accepted.
I walked over to the couch, sitting between them. She turned into me and I hugged her.
"At the end of the day," I whispered, "you are free to be and do whatever you want. If you want to move in with Isabelle and see what happens, do it. We're here for you. Always." I pulled back to see her tear-streaked face. "Got it?"
She nodded and wiped off her tears away with the back of her hand.
"And your brother is truly shit at relationship advice," I added, smiling a little at James. "He gave Jarrod advice and look how that turned out."
Despite ourselves, we all chuckled. I was grateful we'd finally gotten to a point where he wasn't a sore subject.
He was just a piece of our collective past. A memory. He was never coming back and our only option was to move on with our lives.
There was no point in letting those memories hurt me anymore or allowing them to hinder my relationship with James and his family.
"Truthfully," I went on, "you probably shouldn't take our advice on anything related to love or sex." I squeezed her shoulders gently. "But we do want to make sure you're safe. So just know that whenever either of us says something you don't agree with or want to hear."
His brows furrowed but the frustration had leaked from his posture.
"I know," Julia said softly.
She pulled away and stood up. Her bleary eyes flicked to her brother.
"I fucking love your girlfriend," she said. "Don't screw this up, bro."
Then, she turned and walked out. I slowly turned to face James. He leaned back into the couch with a sigh.
"I don't know how you do it," he grumbled. "She never listens to anyone."
"Me neither." I shrugged. "Guess we need to get back to work?"
He leaned forward to place his hand on my knee. "Wait."
I shivered at the contact between our bare skin. My thighs squeezed together as I cleared my throat. My gaze flit up to his.
"I've been thinking . . ." he trailed off, stroking a hand through my loose hair with his spare hand. "We should go visit your parents."
Every lusty thought flew out of my head. I blinked a few times.
"We should?" I squeaked.
He nodded. "Julia's right about one thing. I don't want to fuck things up. I want them to know we're together. That I'm serious about you."
My palms were instantly sweaty. I opened my mouth but nothing came out.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"Yeah, I agree," I said. "We should tell them."
So why was my stomach knotting up?
"You don't seem certain," he said. "What are you worried about? You think they'll disapprove?"
"Well . . . I honestly don't know. My last few relationships have crashed and burned and I don't want my parents to think I'm making another mistake." I grimaced. "We both know how unique our situation is."
He nodded slowly, thoughtfully. When his emerald eyes met mine, a wave of comfort settled over me.
"We aren't going to crash and burn," he said. "This isn't your past relationships. I love you more than I love myself. I want us to start our life together without any hesitations. I don't want anything to hold us back." His fingers squeezed my knee gently. "What do you want, Leah?"
Looking into his eyes, feeling the sincerity of his words in my soul, my insecurities and fears wilted away.
I knew as well as him that he was my future. I didn't want anyone else.
I experienced enough love and tragedy to know when something was worth fighting for.
And nothing could be more worthy of my time, energy, and heart than him.
Smiling, I pressed a kiss to his lips. "Let's do it."