Chapter 51
Blake
I take off my shoes and Ethan does the same before grabbing a blanket out of the truck. We head for the water without speaking, him beside me, the soft crunch of our footsteps on the sand the only sound between us. The beach is dark, peaceful, the waves gently lapping at the shore.
We reach the edge of the water and Ethan spreads the blanket on the dry sand, where we sit side-by-side. It’s cool beneath my bare feet, the soft whisper of the ocean filling the space around us. I lay back, staring up at the vast night sky, and Ethan settles beside me.
I take in the scene—the cliffs on either side of the beach, the lush green growing right up to the dunes, the simple beauty of this place, the peace that always comes with being here. The feeling that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
My thoughts drift back to the fundraiser. I still can’t believe we smashed my goal, making the dream I’ve long harbored a reality. And none of it would have happened without Ethan. It was his suggestion, and he supported me through it all—utterly dependable throughout everything, without asking for anything in return.
And it’s not just the fundraiser. He’s been here for me ever since that night with David, when he held back and deferred to me, recognizing it was a situation I was best placed to handle.
“It’s strange being here,” I say, my gaze catching on the crescent moon. “After everything we’ve been through... it almost feels like coming full circle.”
He doesn’t respond right away, but I can sense his eyes on me. The sound of the waves fills the pause, and for a moment, I let myself get lost in it—the rhythm, the pull, the calm. Being here again makes everything feel different, like the world is good and filled with endless possibilities.
“Maybe we can do that,” Ethan says softly. “When you’re ready. Maybe we can go full circle, start again. I’d wait a thousand sunsets for you, the rise and fall of a million tides.” He pauses, a breath rolling through the broad of his chest. “Time has no hold on what I feel for you. I’d wait forever, and when forever ends, I’d wait some more.”
“That’s so poetic.”
He laughs a little. “Only for you. And I mean it.”
I turn to look at him then, really look at him. His face is bathed in moonlight, catching the stubble on his strong jaw. He’s watching me, waiting for me to say something.
He’s still here.
He’s still waiting, even after everything. Even after I told him I wasn’t ready for a relationship, after I pushed him away. He’s still right here beside me, patient, not pushing, just... being there in every way I need him.
He shifts beside me and then reaches out. His hand finds mine in the space between us, his fingers brushing against mine, gentle and unassuming. There’s no pressure, no expectation—just a quiet offer.
I shift to hold his hand and his fingers slowly entwine with mine, his grip firm but so tender and treasuring it makes my chest tighten. And somehow, in the simplicity of that gesture, in the quiet certainty of his touch, in this place, our Secret Spot, I finally hear what he’s been saying.
He’s not going to leave. He’ll really wait as long as I need, and for the first time, I believe him. Because he’s already shown me.
What’s that Bible verse they read at every wedding? Love is patient, love is kind.
They also say time heals all wounds, and maybe that’s another truth.
Something shifts, like the fog I’ve been walking through for months finally lifts, and I see it all clearly for the very first time. The way Ethan has been there the way I need—not just physically, but emotionally, in all the ways that matters.
He’s been telling me for so long that I’m not alone, that he’s not going anywhere. And he was right about my moms, too. Even though they’re getting divorced and going through their own stuff, they still love me and always will.
A year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to believe that I’m loved no matter what, that I don’t have to carry every burden alone, that I can rely on people and they’re not going to leave. It’s a thought that feels so foreign and yet, so natural now. He’s changed me in ways I hadn’t noticed until this moment. He’s helped me trust—trust him, trust myself, trust the people I love.
He made mistakes. We both have. But his love, the way I’m everything to him, has been steady through it all. It’s so strong, so pure, and for the first time, my walls come all the way down. And to my surprise, I don’t feel like I’m standing out in the open, waiting to be left all alone.
I feel strong. I feel supported.
It’s like the light he’s brought into my life has seeped through every crack, every break, every part of me I thought was broken, illuminating me from the inside out, highlighting my true, authentic self.
Which he loves anyway.
I glance at Ethan again, my heart swelling. He’s been patient, waiting for me to figure things out, and now... now I finally have.
With my walls down, I see so far and so openly for the first time in my life. I’ve got perspective. Clarity. Truth: I’m not broken. I’m just an imperfect person, like Ethan. And the two of us are stronger together.
I’m finally ready to let him in. All the way.
He leans toward me, just enough that I can feel his warmth, but he doesn’t get in my space. His voice is low, and he shakes his head, still holding my hand: “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that about starting again. I know you said you don’t want a relationship. And I didn’t bring you here to convince you of anything. I’m happy spending time together as friends. But I meant it when I said I’ll wait as long as you need.”
He pauses, swallows. “But I just wanted to say that you are the single most incredible woman I’ve ever met. You’re perfect, and—”
I sit up, looking directly at him. “Shut up. Just stop talking.”
He stares at me, looking a little shocked, until I grin and lean in, closing the distance between us. The air between us shifts, crackling with energy.
His eyes search mine, wide and surprised. For a second, we just sit there, the tension building, pulling us closer without either of us moving.
Heat radiates off him, the faint scent of his cologne—something warm and familiar, like cedar and the sea—fills the space between us. His breath hitches, just barely, and I swear I can feel the air thicken between us.
I lean in, my pulse racing, closing the small gap between us. His breath brushes my cheek, warm and steady, just before my lips meet his, and as soon as we touch, it feels like everything falls into place.
Ethan freezes for a split second, but then he responds, his mouth pressing against mine with the same intensity I’m feeling, like he’s been wanting me his entire life. His hand finds its way to my face, cupping my cheek gently, and I lean into his touch, my skin tingling where his thumb grazes my jaw.
The kiss deepens, slowly at first, his lips moving against mine in a way that’s both tender and insistent, like he’s savoring every second.
My hand reaches up, tangling in his dark hair, and I pull him closer, needing more, and his other hand moves to my waist, sliding over my side. There’s strength in his touch, but there’s fire there, too, every nerve ending lighting up as his hands move over my body.
Every brush of his lips, every small movement, sends a spark shooting through me. The kiss shifts, growing more intense, more urgent. His grip on my waist tightens, pulling me closer to him, and I move into him, pressing against him. My hands slide down to his chest, over the hard planes of muscle beneath his shirt, and heat between us builds, every kiss drawing us deeper into each other.
The kiss is everything—hot, electric, like we’ve both been starving for this. It’s all the things we’ve held back, all the emotions that have been building since I ended things, finally spilling over. His hand slides down my back and my body arches into him.
I pull back slightly, just enough to catch my breath, my lips tingling and my heart racing. Ethan’s eyes are dark, filled with something raw, something I haven’t seen in a long time. We’re both breathing hard, and for a moment, neither of us speaks. He leans up and brushes a strand of hair from my face. “Is this for real?”
“It’s for real. I’m ready. I’m yours. I’ve always been yours.”
“I love you so fucking much.”
Finally, I say it: “I love you, too.”
He leans in again, his lips brushing mine, softer this time, but no less intense. His hand moves to the back of my neck, holding me close, and I know—there’s no going back from this. We’re both all in.
I rise to my knees and straddle him, the hard length of his arousal pressing between my legs, and tug at his shirt. A smirk lifts one corner of his lips, and he sits up, me still in his lap, and undoes his top button, pulling the shirt over his head.
I’m already shedding my cardigan and tank top, and the cold air nips at me as I drop it beside us on the blanket. A gust of wind blows fine sea spray over us, and Ethan wraps his arms around me before capturing my mouth once more.
One of his hands unclasps my bra, and he breaks the kiss to stare at me, naked from the waist up. The roughened pad of his thumb skims a nipple before gently pinching and rolling it, setting fire to my core.
Pushing up out of his lap, standing, I unzip my jeans and push them down, stepping out of them a moment later.
“Hurry up,” I say to him, sliding out of my panties, and he’s on his feet in an instant, loosening his belt and letting his jeans and then boxers drop, his cock springing free.
“Lay back down,” I say, palming my hips.
“I like this side of you.”
He settles back down on the blanket, staring at me like he’s trying to memorize every part of me. I drop to my knees beside him and straddle him again, sliding the wet, slick heat of me up and down his length.
He groans, hands going to my hips. “I need you. Right fucking now.”
“I’m yours,” I reply, staring into the deep gray of his eyes. “Take me.”
His hands grip strong and needy on my hips as he guides me down onto him, the planes of his muscular body catching the silver light of the moon overhead.
I let out a low moan as he fills me up completely, my body stretching to accommodate him. He starts to move inside me, his thrusts slow and deliberate at first, but quickly building in intensity. I can feel every inch of him and move with him, grinding my hips against his as I ride him. He’s hitting that spot, and I’m getting closer and closer.
He moves one hand from my hips and starts circling my clit, pressing with just the right amount of pressure. It’s a feeling unlike any other, like every cell in my body is on fire and the heat and intensity of our connection amplifies everything. I arch my back and he thrusts deeper inside me, bottoming out, while sliding his thumb back and forth, then he’s deep inside me again, and again, until I’m pushed right over the edge.
My body tenses and releases in waves of pleasure, muscles contracting around him as I let out a guttural moan. The intensity of it all is dizzying, overwhelming, leaving me feeling like I’m floating and sinking all at the same time.
He holds me steady as I come, thrusting several more times before following with a groan, emptying himself inside me, eyes closed, his hips finally stilling beneath me. I fold in half, resting my head on the slick skin of his chest, spent and satiated, our bodies still joined together.
As we lay there, catching our breath, there’s a sense of wholeness I never thought possible, and I can tell he feels it too. His arms wrap around me, his warmth steady and comforting, and I’m open, completely, in a way I’ve never been before. There’s no fear, no hesitation. Just this moment, with him beneath me, and the certainty that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
Rolling off him, I slide in beside him, pressing my body against him, head over his heart. As I lie there, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing, I think about everything we’ve been through—the hurt, the misunderstandings, the distance between us.
It wasn’t easy, and at times it felt like we’d never find our way back. But now, in the quiet of this moment, I realize we needed that journey, that space to grow, to break and rebuild. We’re both different now—stronger, more willing to be open and supportive in every way that matters.
The journey wasn’t perfect, but it brought us here, to this place where we can finally love one another the way we’re supposed to. And I’m ready, ready to be his, fully and without limitation.