Chapter 56
Chapter fifty-six
Liv
One year, two months later
I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling all day.
The apartment is a mess, there are boxes everywhere, half-built furniture, a couch we argued over and then bought anyway. But it finally feels real. Our place, we finally did it.
Jay’s in the kitchen, rummaging through a box labeled fragile. “You sure this is the one with mugs?” he calls.
“No idea,” I say, sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by another stack of unopened boxes. “Could be mugs, could be my shoes or my vibrators. Live a little.”
The clatter of metal tells me that the box probably isn’t mugs. “Your logic is wild.”
I snort. “Don’t act like you didn’t sign up for that.”
The sound of him laughing fills the space again, bouncing off the bare walls and making the place feel less empty. I look around and exhale. Sunlight pours through the balcony doors, glinting off the ocean just visible in the distance.
I’m due to start at the Coastal Art Gallery next week, and the thought still makes my stomach twist, in a good way. New job, new home, same person who made every inch of distance we’ve endured completely worth it over the last year and a half.
“Found it,” Jay says, appearing in the doorway, a stack of books under one arm and that familiar black-and-gold scrapbook in the other.
My heart jumps. “You brought it.”
“Of course I did.” He grins, crossing the room to hand it to me. “You think I’m not going to show you the evidence of our year apart?”
I take it carefully, running my fingers over the worn cover. The edges are slightly crinkled, one of the corners still stained from the time he spilled coffee on it when we were FaceTiming.
“Okay,” I say, setting mine beside his. “Moment of truth.”
He drops down next to me, shoulder to shoulder, and for a second, we just look at them—two books that carried us through twelve months of fleeting weekends together, video calls, and endless countdowns.
“You first,” he says.
I open his scrapbook, fingers tingling with excitement.
Inside are pieces of our year together and apart—ticket stubs from when we saw Olivia Rodrigo, photos of him at work, a few of us and Nick Fury when he came to visit—who totally gave him the cold shoulder every time, and he’s currently snoozing on his brand-new bed in the spare room.
A napkin with a terrible doodle of me, a pressed flower I sent him from campus, and his notes scrawled in the margins.
Missed you today. Almost booked a flight just to see you for dinner. You’re still my favorite view.
My throat tightens. “You actually kept everything.”
“Every week,” he says. “Even when I thought I didn’t have anything worth saving.”
I flip another page and find the photo from the rooftop—me tucked under his chin, eyes closed, smiling as I imagined this very moment, even back then.
I flip again, and it’s a full-page spread of pictures of me from the night in the studio. The first night he kissed me.
I’m staring at him with paint covering my skin. My eyes locked on the person taking the picture. Desire swarms my irises, even in the low light, it’s visible. More than that, I can remember that intense feeling, the same one I get even now when we’re together.
He leans in close to my ear. “You don’t know what it did to me—seeing you like that. Lit up, open, trusting me with every inch I touched.” His voice is a delicious low rumble that travels directly to my core.
I turn to look at him, but he’s staring at the photo of me with a reverie that steals my heart entirely. I found a home within the safety of his arms, and I never want to leave.
“That was the night,” he says quietly, “I realized I was in real trouble. Because I wasn’t just attracted to you anymore. I was falling. Falling for you was one of the easiest things I’ve done in my life, and loving you is even easier.”
He smiles, this soft, heartbreakingly tender thing that curls warm and familiar in my stomach. “I love you, too.” I breathe him in, savoring the moment. “Every time you say it. Like it’s the first time. Like you mean it even more now.”
His hand slips around my waist, anchoring me. “I do.”
“God,” I whisper, voice cracking a little. “We really did it, huh?”
“There wasn’t any other option, gatinha. You’re my forever.”
“You’re mine, too.” I turn to capture his lips with mine, pressing every single emotion into the kiss. Then I close the book and look at him. “You ready to see yours?”
He nods, and I hand it over. His fingers brush mine as he opens it, and for a while, we just sit there on the floor, surrounded by boxes and sunlight, looking through the proof that we did it—we made it.
His scrapbook is simple—photos, notes, little pieces of us.
Mine’s the opposite: painted pages, colors spilling over each other, sketches layered between pictures, and dried petals from places we’d been apart.
Every week, I’d add something through painting because I couldn’t always put into words, but then he always says my art speaks louder than anything.
“I love this so much,” he starts, face tilting toward me. “But not as much as I love you.”
When he reaches the last page, he glances up at me again. “You left it blank.”
“Yeah,” I say, smiling. “I figured we should fill that one in together.”
He grins, that slow, warm one that still makes my chest go tight. “Then let’s start now.”
***
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“He actually doesn’t like surprises now I think of it,” Hudson says, and I slap his arm. “Oww, was that necessary?”
“Yes,” I grumble. “I have enough nerves as it is, you’re making it worse.”
“Daphne,” Hudson whines. “Liv hit me.”
Daphne’s head pops out of the rental car as she brings Rosie from her car seat. “I know I don’t have to parent you both, you’re grown adults. Act like it.”
I look at Hudson, poking my tongue out, and he does the same. The ridiculousness of it makes us both burst into laughter.
“Daddy’s funny,” Rosie joins in.
“Funny looking,” I mumble, pinching her cute, rosy cheeks.
Today has been about a year in the making, ever since Jay’s first game with the Valkyries, and it’s finally happening.
“Let’s go in, he’ll be here soon.”
The bell above the door jingles as we step inside. The place smells like espresso and cinnamon. It’s quieter than usual for a Saturday, which works in our favor. Daphne grabs a corner table while Hudson orders drinks, and I try to stop my leg from bouncing.
Rosie climbs onto the chair beside her mom, legs swinging. She’s got a tiny pair of sunglasses perched on her head and one of those glittery stickers she loves stuck to her shirt. She looks so freaking cute.
“I made Unca-Jay a picture,” Rosie announces, pulling a crumpled drawing from her backpack. “It’s a whale because he lives by the sea.”
“Aww, Ro, he’s gonna love it. He told me he misses you so much and can’t wait to hug you.” Rosie smiles widely at that, then does a little happy dance where she’s sitting, just as a light gush of air swooshes behind me.
“What the—” He laughs, and I turn to see him, glasses being pushed back up his nose from shaking his head. “You guys are here? I didn’t know you were visiting.”
“Surprise!” Hudson calls, loud enough for half the café to turn. “We figured it was time. And Rosie wanted to see her Unca-Jay.”
At her name, Rosie scrambles down from the chair and barrels toward him. “Unca-Jay!”
He crouches just in time to catch her. “Hey, love bug. You got taller.”
“My three now,” she says proudly, holding up four fingers.
Jay laughs, not letting her down. “Wow, you’re so smart.”
Daphne side-hugs him, bopping Rosie’s nose. “She’s been practicing her math, apparently.”
Jay sets Rosie on his hip, and she immediately wraps her arms around his neck. “My missded you.”
I share a look with Daphne that just about means we’re melting at the cuteness.
“My missded you more, love bug.”
God, it’s ridiculous how cute they are together. Tears prick behind my eyes before I can stop them. Those two have stayed close since he moved—FaceTime calls, shared jokes, the whole thing. Jay’s even trying to convince her rugby’s her destiny, much to Hudson’s horror.
Rosie wiggles down and grabs her picture. “That’s you. And that’s your ocean.”
He grins. “That’s perfect. I’ll hang it in my office.”
Rosie looks at him like he hung the moon and stars.
“How is work going?” Daph asks as Hudson scoops Ro up to his lap.
“Busy. Good busy, though. The Valkyries and Knights are finally coexisting more peacefully.”
“That’s good to hear.” It really is. This last year has been an interesting one, going by everything he’s told me.
Hudson nods thoughtfully, stirring his drink. “You follow much of the Colts?”
Jay glances at him. “A bit. Good team this year. Their new quarterback is a beast.”
Hudson hums like he’s thinking too hard about nothing. “Yeah, I heard they’ve got a few big signings. Organization seems solid. Good pay structure. Decent facilities.”
Jay raises an eyebrow. “Since when do you care about the Colts’ pay structure?”
Hudson gives a one-shoulder shrug. “Just curious. You know, professional interest.”
Daphne hides her smirk behind her cup. “I also heard the area around here is a pretty awesome place. Close to the beach. Good schools, good parks…”
Jay’s eyes narrow. “Okay, what’s going on?”
Hudson tries to look casual and fails miserably. “Just saying—it’d be a good place to raise a kid.”
Jay studies them both, suspicion growing. “You’re not seriously telling me—”
Hudson can’t keep it in any longer. “I signed last week.”
Jay stares at him. “With the Colts?”
Hudson grins, finally dropping the act. “They officially poached me.”
Jay huffs a laugh, eyes finding mine. “You knew?”
I nod. “I might’ve given them the number for our super, too… There happens to be a three-bed apartment below ours.”
Daphne sets her cup down, a hint of a grin tugging at her mouth. “And speaking of good decisions, I also heard the Valkyries are getting a new PR assistant.”
Jay turns to her, still half-stunned. “What? Since when?”
She looks entirely too pleased with herself. “Since yesterday.”
Jay laughs, shaking his head. “Unreal. You’re all just moving in, huh?”
Hudson grins. “You make it sound like an invasion.”
“It is an invasion,” Jay says, though there’s no hiding the smile spreading across his face. He looks around the table—at Daphne, at Hudson, Rosie, then at me. “And I’m not even mad about it.”
Daphne raises her coffee mug. “Looks like you’re stuck with us again.”
Jay smiles, looking around at all of us. “I’m okay with being stuck with you guys.”
He reaches for my hand under the table, his thumb brushing over mine once, steady and sure. It’s strange how easily everything fits now—our lives, our plans, the pieces we’ve been trying to line up for years. Two messy paths that somehow collide and make sense of everything around them.
And sitting here, surrounded by everyone we love, I’m not waiting for something to fall apart. I get to just let it be good.
***
Thank you so much for reading Collide.