Chapter 39 #2
“I’d say it was the long road trip I took on my own from Sydney to Cairns.
It was during that ten-day journey that I discovered parts of myself I never really knew about.
My strength. My courage. My willpower. It taught me to rely solely on myself and to face every feeling head-on, no matter how overwhelming.
It was fucking hard, I won’t lie. But I was determined to see how far I could go.
And when I finally reached my destination, I literally broke down in tears—not from fear or sadness, but most because I finally did it.
I got there, all on my own. That was some pretty powerful shit. ”
He smiles, his expression beaming with warmth and admiration.
“I’m so fucking proud of you, Mila. Seriously.
Not many people can say they’ve done what you did.
You’ve come such a long way.” He lifts my hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss before pulling away, his eyes full of affection never leaving mine.
“Thank you. I like to think so too.”
The moment is interrupted when the waiter arrives with our food and drinks. We watch in silence as he sets our meals on the table with care. As soon as he leaves, Jason raises his glass in a toast. “Here’s to you—the bravest, strongest, most resilient woman I know.”
I offer him a warm, grateful smile and lift my glass, clinking it gently against his.
We take a slow sip before turning our attention to the food.
The atmosphere feels easy, unhurried, and for the first time in a long while, I feel a genuine sense of happiness and peace.
We engage in casual talk as we eat our meal, catching up on everything we missed in each other’s lives from the past nine months.
He talks about his plans to open a second restaurant, Jake starting Year 1, and how he’s already giving his teacher trouble.
I share about my new job as a speech pathologist and my recent trip to Melbourne, where I got to witness Skylar get engaged.
That part earns me a sincere smile from him.
I can tell how happy he is to hear how well my sister is doing after everything she’s been through.
Several minutes later, I finally voice the question that’s been weighing on my mind.
“How did you cope… I mean, after we broke up?”
He places his fork and knife down on the table, reaching for his wine glass. Taking a small sip, he sets the glass back on the table and lets out a sharp sigh.
“If you want the truth… I was a wreck the first six months.” He pauses, letting the admission hang between us.
“And that’s not on you, so get that out of your head if that’s what you’re thinking.
” Another pause, softer this time. “I practically buried myself in work and started spending more time with Jake, my dad… even Chris. It helped, in its own way. But every time Jake asked about you, it was like the wound opened up again.”
I nod, feeling a surge of guilt rush through me. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I really am sorry, Jason. For leaving you and Jake just when things between us started getting serious. There were so many times I felt like I had let you both down.”
“Mila, you did what you had to do. I’ll never blame you for that. The important thing was that you were able to focus on your healing without distraction and that you’re in a much better place now.”
“I am. That I can say with one-hundred percent certainty.”
“I’m so happy to hear that.” He smiles widely.
“So… what else did you get up to? I bet women were lining up just to get a date with you.” The words slip out before I can stop them. I hadn’t meant to say it so directly, and now that it’s out in the open, I’m almost too afraid to hear the answer.
His eyes lock with mine, steady and intense. Then with a low, steady voice, he says, “No, baby… there hasn’t been anyone since you.”
I let out a long breath, a mix of relief and joy. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
“Yeah?” He raises an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
“Because I really don’t want to have to knock a bitch out.”
He howls out a laugh, and I can’t help but laugh along with him.
We finish our meals, and he orders us dessert.
The moment our mouth-watering cheesecake arrives, we dive right in.
My eyes immediately drop to his mouth as he slowly licks the whipped cream from his bottom lip.
The simple act is unbearably erotic, so tantalising, that I feel I’d need to bathe in holy water just to cleanse the filthy thoughts racing through my mind.
Once we’ve finished our dessert, he stands and extends his hand towards me. “Come,” he says. “Let’s go for a walk around the garden.”
I take his hand, and he lifts me to my feet with gentle ease. He drapes my coat around my shoulders before slipping into his own jacket. We walk hand-in-hand towards the hostess stand, where he quickly settles our bill before leading me towards the exit door.
When we step out into the cold, refreshing air, we’re greeted by a sea of lush green and twinkling lights. No matter how many times he plans on taking me here, I will never get tired of this view.
As we quietly stroll along the stone path, his hand warm and secure around mine, we simply soak in the atmosphere, calm and serene, while we listen to the gentle music floating from the outdoor speakers.
A few minutes later, we arrive at the heart of the garden, where a white gazebo waits like something out of a dream.
Strings of tiny lanterns drape from its ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow that dances in the night air.
A lone bench rests against the railing, and Jason slowly guides me towards it.
Just as I’m about to take a seat, I feel a gentle tug on my hand and before I know it he’s pulling me gently against him. He lifts my arms and locks them around his shoulders while his hands slip around my waist, holding me close. It’s then that I realise—he’s leading us to a slow dance.
Shania Twain’s, From This Moment On, drifts softly through the speakers, enveloping us in a warm, intimate embrace.
We sway gently and slowly to the rhythm, and when our eyes meet, I catch the sparkle in his gaze—focused, tender, as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist. He twirls me slowly, then pulls me back against him, my hand pressed to his chest. He smiles, staring into my eyes, and Christ, that smile—it’s enough to make every limb in my body weak.
“I had such a great time tonight. Thank you, Jason.”
“Thank you for coming along on this date with me.”
“Did you think I’d say no?”
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure if you’d be comfortable yet.”
“I’ve never felt uncomfortable around you. It’s quite the opposite actually.”
“That’s really good to know.” He smiles warmly.
Silence engulfs us for the next few minutes, the air around us charged with electricity. He watches me with an expression that holds so much affection and quiet wonder that I just have to ask, “What are you thinking?”
He lets out a soft, breathy chuckle. “I’m thinking about a lot of things… but there’s one in particular I’m too nervous to tell you. In case you run off on me again.”
“I promise I won’t. Not this time.”
His eyes drop to my mouth, a gesture he’s been making all evening. When he bites his bottom lip, heat instantly pools low in my stomach. Why does he have to be so freaking sexy!
“I’ve been thinking about kissing you all night. It’s like I’ve waited so long to have you in my arms again, that now you’re here, all I want to do is just kiss you and kiss you until our lips are completely swollen and red.”
I swallow sharply, my cheeks flush from his words and from the heat of his gaze.
I take in a deep breath, then, slowly rise on my tiptoes.
Cupping his jaw with my hands, I claim his lips with mine, my eyes closing on instinct.
The moment I part my lips for him, he slides his warm tongue inside, tangling, exploring.
With the way he’s gripping my hips so tightly, I can tell he’s trying desperately not to lose control.
“Fuck, Mila.” He groans, the sound rough and edged with something almost like pain.
“Why is it so hard to contain myself around you?”
“Then don’t. Just let go.”
The corner of his lip curls into a mischievous grin, a mix of challenge and desire in his eyes. Then, in the next breath, his hand snakes to the back of my neck, pulling me into a searing, all-consuming kiss.
“Jason.” I pull back slowly, my chest rising and falling from the intensity of our kiss.
“I just want you to know that I never stopped thinking about you. In fact, one of the things that got me through my darkest moments was imagining you, standing there at the end, waiting for me like you promised.”
He leans in and presses a delicate kiss to my forehead.
“Funny you say that, because you were always on my mind too. The only thing that got me through each day was the hope that you’d come back to me.
I guess all that praying and wishing finally worked, because here you are, back in my arms again. Where you’ve always belonged.”
“Thank you, Jason. For never giving up on me. For never giving up on us.”
“You’re worth every fight, Mila. And don’t you ever forget that. I will never, ever give up on us for as long as I live. You and Jake are my entire world.”
“Good! Because I’m done being away from you. I’m done wasting any more time. I’m ready to give us another chance, Jason. As strange as it sounds, I think my thirteen-year-old self knew—it was you always going to be you in the end.” I let out a soft chuckle.
His smile stretches so wide that I can’t help but return one too. We kiss once more, only this time with a fierce intensity I’ve never felt before. He bites and tugs on my lip, so much so that I’m sure they’re red and swollen just like he said they’d be.
“Come home with me?” he whispers against my lips.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
On the drive back to his house his hand never leaves mine—not even once to shift gears.
And when we finally step through the front door, there’s no more waiting, no more holding back.
He leads me straight to his bedroom, where time seems to slow, and the rest of the world fades away.
It’s just the two of us, wrapped in our own little piece of heaven, where he makes love to me—slowly, passionately, leaving us both breathless and renewed.