Page 90 of Where You Left Me

Not justanyvoice.

Jones’s voice.

But it might as well be the voice of an angel. Because he found me. He’s here to rescue me. Maybe he and I have telepathy after all.

“Mia?” he shouts again.

“I’m here,” I call back. “Jones, I’m here.”

“Mia!” This time my name thunders in his voice. “Oh, thank God. I’m coming.”

Tears spring to my eyes again.

A light from his flashlight appears on the trail first and I scoot to the edge of the rock in anticipation. When he finally comes into view, my gaze falls on him and I cry harder in relief.

“Mia,” he says in exhale as he rushes to me.

Flinging my arms around him, I sob, “I’m so sorry.”

He holds me so tight. Tighter than he’s ever held me. Or maybe it just feels that way because I’ve never needed him more.

“Shh,” he hushes me. “Peaches, you’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

“I was so scared.”

“You were scared? I was losing my mind when I heard you went hiking alone and never made it back home.” He rears back and holds my face in his hands. “What the hell were you thinking?”

I sniff. “I don’t know. And then I twisted my ankle…it was stupid.”

“You bet your ass it was stupid,” he barks, wiping away my tears.

“How’d you know where to find me?”

“You kidding? This has always been your favorite place to hike when you’ve got something on your mind.”

My gaze dances over his in adoration. “You remember that?”

“Peaches, I remember everything.”

Warmth fills me as the realization sets in that this man knows me. Not just the old me, but the new me. And he still loves me.

“I’m so sorry.”

“You better be sorry, worrying me like that. Fuck, Mia.” He runs his hand over my hair.

“Not for that…I mean, I am sorry for that too.” I set my hand on his face and brush his cheek with my thumb. “Jones, I pick you. You’re my person. You’re the one I want to survive life with. You’re the one I want to have a good time with.”

“Yeah?” A smile grows on his face and he brings my forehead against his.

I nod against him, and we sit like this, staring at one another and smiling, like neither of us can believe that we get to finally start our lives together.

“C’mon, beauty, hop on my back,” he instructs. “I’m going to carry you down this mountain and get you to the hospital to get that ankle fixed up.”

“My hero,” I say in singsong.

“We’ve never fucked at a hospital before,” he says, waggling his brows at me.

And I just laugh. Because Jones is my person. Always and forever.

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