Chapter 53
fifty-three
“Thank God it’s the weekend,” I mutter to myself as I recline in my office chair. It’s been a long week of client meetings and working on another pitch. Work has been nonstop for both of us since we got back from Hawaii two weeks ago. The joy of having thriving careers, I guess.
I pack my bag, excited to get out of this cardigan, sheath dress, and heels and wrap my arms around Jake.
A smile grows across my face, thinking how much has changed in my life in such a short span of time.
I used to be the last one in the office every night, working well past sunset.
Now, I’m trying to bust out of here as soon as my last meeting ends.
I’d much rather spend my evenings with him, working from the comfort of our couch, with my legs in his lap.
Warmth spreads through me, and I bite my lower lip, remembering how he loves to reward me with kisses whenever I accomplish anything.
Send an email. Get a kiss.
Update a slide deck. Get a kiss.
My cheeks flush as I think about where those stolen kisses almost always lead.
We’ve christened every room and surface in his rental.
The mere memory sends a jolt of heat between my thighs.
That’s all it takes, and I’m desperate to have him buried inside me.
A physical need that can never be met. No matter how many times we have sex. I always crave more.
The oppressive humidity smacks me in the face as soon as I walk out the door of my office building.
It’s a typical early summer night in Chicago; humidity is through the roof, and warmth radiates off the ground.
Talk about a shock to the system when you go from a chilly office set at sixty-eight degrees to a heat index over ninety.
The only way to survive a Midwest summer is to keep your indoor temperature set to freezing to combat the ridiculous humidity outside.
That’s why dressing in layers is critical.
I peel off my cardigan and stuff it into my bag as my heels click on the concrete pavement.
My phone dings with a text I know is from Jake, bringing an instantaneous grin to my face. He always checks in on me when I’m walking to our rental house. One of the many sweet and thoughtful things he does without asking.
Jake
Can’t wait to see you when you get home in a few minutes. Already have dinner on the grill.
Kate
You’re the best.
And I’m starving.
Jake
Same, but I’m not talking about dinner.
I shake my head and chuckle. Every day, Jake makes me feel valued.
Lighter. Erasing a lot of the deep-rooted anxiety and insecurities I’ve been plagued with for most of my life.
I feel confident to be my true, authentic self with him, sharing my wants and needs without worrying whether I’ll be judged for it.
This must be what it feels like to have a true partner in life.
Someone who helps you become a better version of yourself.
Appreciates every aspect of you. All-encompassing and life-changing.
I’m in love with Jake.
I finally know what true love feels like, and I can’t help but feel slightly terrified. If we can’t make this relationship last when he goes back home, I’m not sure how or if I’ll ever recover.
It’s why I’ve been unable to say those three little words to him. The ones that have been on the tip of my tongue for weeks now.
But that ends this weekend. I’m going to finally confess the depth of my feelings. Tell him that I’m undeniably, madly in love with him.
Everything about my relationship with Jake is different. He’s enabled me to step into my own and focus on what I want from life, rather than what others want or expect from me.
And what I want is a life with Jake.
Today.
Tomorrow.
Forever.