Page 100 of Forever Home

“Your home?” I question, slightly uncertain as to what he is talking about. He has a home, his parent’s may have not been the best but they are his parents nonetheless.

“Yes. My home. Somewhere I belong, and it took me this past year to realize that home is not a place. It’s the people. Your found family. Blood doesn’t define the ones we consider family. It’s the people who would drop anything the moment you need help. The ones that listen when you talk, and support you not because of your success or your failures, but because of who you really are.”

When he looks at me again, there’s something lingering within the depths of his eyes: happiness, but also adoration. “Madison, you’ve done that for me and so much more.”

Taking my hand, he brings my fingers to his lips. My breath catches in my throat as he kisses the back of each of them. “You’ve become my home—I finally see that now. I refuse to let you go again. I don’t need New York, Madison. I don’t need upscale apartments or cooking shows. I don’t need any of that. I just…I just need you.”

There are tears streaming down my cheeks, but a smile creeps across my face as I stare at him. Everything that he just said has touched me in a way I can’t explain, but it’s what I needed to hear.

Deep down I feel the same way.

“Jaxson—” I try to say, finding it hard to calm my racing heart. “You can’t just give up your life for me.”

“But I can,” he replies quickly. “If I never go back to New York after today, that’s okay. Travis and Vicki don’t need me. And I sold the other place because I felt like it was tying me to the city after all the shit with Eric. None of that is important to me though. The only thing that’s important to me is you. I’m in love with you, Madison.”

The emotion I’ve been holding back for weeks comes crashing forward, filling my heart with love. I respond without words, kissing him like it might be my last chance. He pulls me onto his lap, hands roaming my body as his tongue strokes mine.

“Jaxson,” I gasp pulling away slightly. “Willowcreek may be my home, but so are you. I don’t have to be scared to leave this place anymore. I’m not scared to leave. I was so worried about leaving my mom—”

His hand reaches up to brush the side of my face as he stares down at me. “You don’t have to explain yourself—”

“But I do,” I reply quickly. “I’ve been so afraid to move forward that I have been throwing my life away. I’ve failed to seek my own happiness,but that ends now. I don’t want you to give up who you are or what you love. I want to experience it with you—travel the world, try crazy food, go skydiving, for real this time.”

“You want to go skydiving?” He laughs.

“Yes… I do. I want to experience everything with you, Jaxson. Because I love you, too.”

Leaning close to me, he brushes his lips against mine, sending chills across my skin. Chills of excitement that make me want to experience everything the world has to offer.

“I want to open my own bakery.”

Just the thought of opening my own bakery brings a happiness I didn’t know was possible. He looks at me, his smile stretching wider across his face at my admission. “I’ll help you do anything you want.”

“Really?” I ask softly. “I was so worried I’d lost you—”

“Oh, cupcake,” he whispers, leaning his forehead against mine. “You never lost me.”

He pulls me close as our bodies intertwine, bonded together with passion and love. As much as I want to fuck him in the treehouse right now, I don’t. With Kylie's wedding going on below, the last thing I want is to give anyone a show, should they happen to come up. That doesn’t stop us from devouring each other, though, and it’s a few minutes before good sense reins us back in.

I sit back, studying his face, tracing every curve I’ve had memorized since high school. Somehow it’s both comforting and brand new, and I know this is the start of a lifetime of adventure with him.

A lifetime of that… and bickering. We wouldn’t be us without it.Good thing make-up sex is the best kind of sex…

Jaxson Rivers has always been the only one for me—hell, we’ve been the only one for each other—and now that we finally figured it out, there’s no way in hell I’ll ever give him up.

Epilogue

Ten months with Madison and nothing but perfection. Okay, maybe not perfection, but the way our imperfections bounce off each other? Spicy as hell.

Since the night in the treehouse, we’ve been inseparable. Had I thought Paris romantic before? It is ten-times better with her by my side. My time with Madison is beyond anything I can ever describe. Our lives ended up in New York, while still commuting every now and again back to Willowcreek to help Madison’s mother when she needs it.

However, this time we’re all gathering, once again at Mrs. Kendall's house. The project is finally completed and the grand opening of the clubhouse nears. All of that is in the back of my mind, though. I am preparing to ask the most important question someone can ask, but no matter how sure I felt about it this morning, the more the realization sinks in with what I’m going to do today, the more nervous I become.

“Hey, hey!” Sam calls out from the kitchen the moment I enter the house. Madison had already made her way here a few hours ago to help Sam and the others set up for Kylie's baby shower.

Everyone is supposed to be here. Friends, Family… hell Allison had a huge conversation with Madison about the pastries and cupcakes that Kylie wanted. Something to do with her recent addiction to carrot cake and macarons.

The moment I walk into the kitchen, I stop dead in my tracks. Madison and Sam have appetizers and desserts literally scattered everywhere and in between it all is Kylie—taste-testing every single thing present while Dante tries to convince her to sit down.

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