60. Ace
Ace
The sirens fade eventually.
Not all at once.
But enough.
The world settles.
Even if nothing feels the same.
The shop is quiet again.
No candles.
No tension.
Just the aftermath.
Tessa stands at the counter.
Tracing the edge.
Grounding herself.
“You good?” I ask.
She glances back.
“I think so.”
And this time—
I believe her.
She looks different.
Not broken.
Stronger.
Like something finally settled.
“You did good,” I tell her.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because you did.”
“I almost didn’t move her, but I’m glad I did,” she admits.
I don’t interrupt.
Just listen.
“I thought this place would remind me too much of Gable Ridge, but it feels more like home now than anywhere.”
She looks around.
At the flowers.
At everything she built for herself.
She meets my eyes.
“It feels like mine.”
That hits.
Harder than I expect.
“Good,” I say.
Because she deserves that.
She steps closer.
Slow.
Intentional.
“You stayed,” she says.
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Why?”
There it is.
The question.
I step in.
Close.
No space left.
“Because it’s you.”
No hesitation.
“I care about you. More than I should.”
Her breath catches.
She searches my face.
Won’t find doubt.
“Good,” she whispers.
“Good?”
“I love you.”
That’s it.
No more waiting.
I pull her in.
Kiss her.
Slow at first.
Then deeper.
Because this?
This is a choice.
When we pull back—
She’s smiling.
Really smiling.
For the first time.
I rest my forehead against hers.
“I love you too.”
“The fighting is over.”
“Yeah.”
“What now?”
She thinks about it.
Then looks at me.
“We live.”
Simple.
True.
And yeah—
That’s exactly what we’re going to do.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONES