Lila
Owen was officially the world’s worst patient.
He refused to rest, he wouldn’t wear his sling when he was supposed to, and he never took the pain pills the doctor had prescribed.
“Sit down,” I shouted. “And let me help you with the sling. If you don’t wear it, you’re never going to heal properly.”
“I’m bored and have a lot to get done. It’s a terrible combination. Just let me work woman, I need both hands.”
Shooting a scowl his way, I snatched the laptop off the kitchen island and clutched it to my chest. “You will do no such thing. I’d have it all covered if I didn’t have to spend all my time chasing you around and forcing you to take it easy.”
He gave me a boyish smirk. “I love it when you chase me.”
I rolled my eyes and fought a smile. We’d been holed up in the cabin since he was discharged a few days ago and were scrambling to get everything ready for the sale.
“I’m bored,” he complained. “How about we go in the bedroom, and I’ll make you come. It’s been ages since you let me eat your pussy.”
“You have a broken collarbone,” I hissed. “You have to keep it stable so it heals.”
He tilted his head and hummed. “Then sit on my face. I’ll stay perfectly still. I promise.”
I threw a dishtowel at him. “Sit down.” I pointed to the couch. “And put on the damn sling. If you behave, I’ll make a pot of coffee and sit beside you with my laptop so we can review documents together.”
He grumbled but complied. Thank God.
Once the coffee was ready, I took two mugs over to the coffee table and sat down next to him. As I settled, my heart rate picked up and my stomach twisted. “I have to tell you something.”
His eyes widened, and he shifted toward me, only to wince at the movement.
I snatched his sling off the back of the couch and gently eased his arm into it. “I, um…” Adjusting the strap, I peeked up at him. “I accepted admission at the University of Boston this morning. Sent the paperwork and everything.”
“Lila,” he sighed. “Don’t derail your plans for me. Please. We can do long distance. New York is a quick helicopter ride from Boston. I’ll come visit whenever you want.”
This man was ridiculous. I gently patted his chest and cocked one brow. “Despite your rich and famous friends, you do not have helicopter money. Nor do I want to be that far away from you.”
“New York is your dream.”
I curled my legs up under me and turned to face him. “It was my dream. But my dreams have changed. Willa is moving back to Lovewell to take over her dad’s medical practice, and Magnolia may move too. I only wanted to move to New York to be with them. And then I found you.”
He winked at me. Cocky bastard.
“Boston’s program is excellent, and they offered me a decent scholarship. I love the city, and it just so happens that I’m madly in love with a guy who lives there.”
He grasped my hand and brought it to his lips. “I’ll do anything for you, Lila. I mean that.”
I knew it. Together, we’d worked through so much. Our future was complex and unknown, but it was so, so bright. Every time I thought about moving to Boston with him, a peace settled over me. This was the right move for both of us.
“When you move in, we can turn the guest room into an office so you’ll have a designated space to study. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll have it arranged.”
My heart lodged itself in my throat. “Move in?”
He leaned in and kissed me. “Of course. My condo is only a few stops from the school. It’ll be a quick ride on the T, and on nice days, the walk isn’t bad. It makes sense.”
I frowned at him.
“I know you don’t want to be a kept woman, but why pay for housing when my condo is so close to campus? Plus, do you really want to move into student housing?”
I most certainly did not want to move into student housing, but that was beside the point. He could not just tell me where I’d be living.
“Surely I can find something decent and cheap not too far from campus.”
He dropped his head back and laughed. “In Boston?”
Yes, I was being hopelessly na?ve, but the thought of compromising any of my hard-won independence still terrified me. But I wanted to spend every free moment with Owen, so I’d be at his condo a lot, right? And the place was amazing…
He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “You know what? I love you so much that I’ll live in a rat-infested basement in Brighton if it makes you happy. I don’t care where we live, as long as I get to wake up next to you every day.”
God, could he be any more perfect?
His eyes were twinkling as he pulled back. “Screw my condo. The views are overrated. Who needs all those pretty places within walking distance? Or the gym? The doorman? Way too much. Don’t even get me started on the rooftop pool.”
“Rooftop pool?” I asked casually. “You’ve never mentioned that.”
He winked. “Only the best for my Maple Sugar Queen.”
I settled back into the couch and put my head on his good shoulder.
We were quiet for a long time before he cleared his throat. “I had another idea. Maybe someday we could find a cabin up here. Just for vacations. I think Maine is growing on me.”
“Is that right?”
“I want to visit more, spend time with Merry and Theo, come up for holidays, that kind of thing.”
I closed my eyes and exhaled. “I’d like that. We could come up during the summer and work on finishing our list of hikes, waterfalls, and strange roadside attractions.”
“Our list is very long,” he agreed.
“Hmm. Yes, it’ll take many, many years to complete it.” I snuggled up closer to him.
“Then I guess you’re stuck with me for a long time.”
“Guess so.”
“Good.” He dropped a kiss to the crown of my head. “Because I plan to love you like Lloyd loves Diane. I’ll never hold you back. I’ll always champion you. And I’ll be the guy rooting for you every day.”
Tears stung at the backs of my eyes as my heart tripped over itself. In the space of a month, this man had made me feel so seen and cherished.
“You taught me that we get to create our own futures,” he mused. “That we can grow and heal from the past and chase our dreams. I want to do it with you, as a team, every single day.”