Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
“I really hate being in politics.” I scrunched my nose.
“That’s not news.” His thumb moved in small, reassuring circles on my skin.
“I may have quit my job.” It came out a rushed whisper.
He grinned. “Funny you should mention that. I may have quit mine too.”
My lips parted as I looked for words. Any words.
“It was time.” He lifted his hand to my face and cupped my cheek. “I am wildly in love with you, and I don’t want to be your possibility anymore. I’m not leaving us up to fate.”
I leaned into his palm and stared at him, terrified to close my eyes, scared that this would all be a dream and I’d wake alone in my bed, reaching for a figment of my imagination.
“I think it’s about time we took our shot. What do you say?” His gaze dropped to my mouth. “I mean, you should probably know that I’m going through some therapy, and that might not be something you want to stick around through—”
“Yes.” I nodded, my heart pumping so wildly I half expected it to burst out of my chest. “I say yes. Let’s take our shot. Let’s go slow or move fast. Let’s do everything we talked about and dream up new stuff. I don’t care where we live or what we do, as long as I get to do it with you. I love you.”
“Izzy?” He leaned across the armrest as the plane rolled backward, leaving the gate.
“Nate?” I moved closer.
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
I smiled as his mouth met mine, then sighed when he deepened the kiss and kept going all through takeoff. By the time we lifted our heads, we were far above the clouds.
I didn’t know what this new future looked like, but I knew it was ours.
And that was everything.
EPILOGUE
NATHANIEL
Maine
Five years later
The September sun came through the pine trees in splotches as they swayed above us, rustling gently in the breeze as we sat beneath them on a thick blanket.
My legs were stretched out in front of me, Izzy’s head in my lap.
It was my favorite way to catch up on our work.
Fall in Maine was my favorite time of year. It had been the perfect place for us to start our forever. Pine trees, enough room from both our families to breathe, and each other. I knew Izzy missed Serena, but she spent most of her time out on assignment, and they always made time to see each other when Serena was actually in the US.
I marked a student’s paper, commenting on the unique twist she’d used in her analysis of Macbeth, while Izzy read through what looked to be a briefing she was filing on behalf of a local nonprofit.
Peace. The feeling coursing through me was exactly what I’d been searching for my entire life, and it existed wherever Izzy was.
Finishing that particular paper, I took a moment to brush back her hair. It didn’t matter how many days I had with her. She always seemed more beautiful every time I saw her.
She put her briefing down, the sun catching on the diamond and gold band on her left hand, and she smiled up at me. “Almost done?”
“Three more. You?”
She flipped the document over, glancing at the length. “Probably ten minutes.”
“Any plans for your afternoon?” I trailed my fingers down her bare arm. Touching her never got old either. It was my favorite thing to do. Well, except talking to her. Or kissing her. Basically anything that involved Izzy, I was down for.
“Nothing comes to mind.” She slipped a hand under my shirt, and my stomach tightened. “Why? Anything you feel like doing?”
“I was thinking about carrying you back to bed and spending the rest of the day worshipping your body.”
Her lips parted, and she scrambled to her feet. “Yep. That sounds like a plan.”
“Can’t wait another ten minutes?” I laughed, already grabbing my pile of papers and the blanket we’d been sitting on.
“Nope.” She backed away with an irresistible grin, heading toward the back door of our house. “Work can wait.”
“I’ve never agreed more.” I chased her up to the house and, once I caught her, lifted her into my arms, tangling her up with the blanket.
The papers hit the floor with the briefing once we made it in the door.
Then my hands were full of Izzy.
She was right. Work could wait.
We finally had forever.