Page 82 of Love Rewritten

It’s another few minutes of sitting together on the bench before either of us says anything. The question is out of my mouth before I can stop it. “What do you want, Abby?”

She looks at me curiously before turning her attention to the water. There isn’t a right or wrong answer. No particular direction I was taking it. She can make it mean whatever she wants it to mean. She doesn’t look at me when she answers.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that before.” She pauses, fixes her ponytail, and settles her hands in her lap. “I want to feel like I have a place in this world like everyone else does.” She pauses again. “Sam told me something once. It stuck with me. More than anything else he’s ever said to me.”

I furrow my brows, waiting for her to continue.

“He said I exist because he lets me. I don’t want to feel like I’m only here because he’s allowed it. I want to feel like my own person, like people want me here, like people want me to exist. And I’m realizing now that I want to exist, too. For you, but even more so for myself. I want to love and be loved.” She pauses and turns toward me. “I want you, Dallas. Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, spiritually, all of it. And I want …” She pauses to take a deep breath, and she averts her eyes to the grass. “I want you to know that I love you.”

I take a deep breath to process what she’s said at the same time that my heart seems to sew itself to hers. Her first words make my heart hurt. But the rest of them … I’m so fucking happy. It’s music to my ears.

“Abby,” I say, pulling her chin toward me. She looks up at me with those eyes that make me melt every single time. I press my lips to hers, lingering until I hope she feels the weight of what that kiss means to me—what she means to me. “I love you more than you can ever comprehend.” She smiles as her eyes soften and her shoulders sag, but it’s not a sad movement. It’s relief. “There is no shame in how you exist. You simply exist in this space the way you do. And I love the way you exist.”

Epilogue

Abby

Thenewcarpetundermy feet is a welcome presence after all the snow we received yesterday. Thankfully, the snowstorm showed up a day early otherwise, we would have been moving during a blizzard. But trudging through the snow today is another struggle. I wiggle my toes into the plush fibers beneath me as Dallas places our new set of keys on the counter.

He smiles wide as he wanders over. A hand on each hip pulls me close, and he lowers his lips to meet mine. It’s a sensation I thought I would get used to, these kisses, but they never get any less breathtaking. And I always wish they’d last longer when he pulls away.

He kisses my forehead before peering down at me, our bodies still pressed together.

“We get this whole townhouse to ourselves,” I beam, looking around the open living room and kitchen space.

“The whole thing,” he repeats, breaking apart from me when Logan walks in.

“Where do you want your enormous collection of books, Abby?” Logan asks with a slight strain to his voice, carrying a box with him.

“Uh, maybe stick it against that wall.” I point to the one near the stairs to the right of the door. My new job at the library hasn’t helped with my ever-growing list of books to buy and read. Dallas has gotten into the habit of asking what the new book of the day is when I get home from work because I always find another one to add to my TBR. And with it being the middle of fall semester of my senior year, I don't exactly have a lot of free time to read for fun. But I will certainly keep collecting.

Meredith carries two suitcases in and asks, “Bedroom?”

“Yeah, let me show you which one.” I take one of the cases from her and lead her up the stairs to the room on the left. It’s the bigger of the two with a bathroom in between. “Stick it in the closet for now,” I say, setting mine down.

“So, are you excited to finally be moving in?” Meredith asks, leaning against the wall.

“Very. But this better be the last move for a while. I’m so tired.”

“I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere anytime soon unless one of you gets a job that requires you to move. Because that man,” she points through the open door toward the stairs, “isn’t going anywhere without you. I know that. He knows that. Everyone else here who’s helping you move today knows that. I hope you have figured that out by now, too.”

I can’t help but smile, because I know it’s true. These last four months since the court case ended have been utter bliss. I wasn’t sure how easily things would come after I walked out of those courthouse doors, but everything felt so much lighter, so much easier. I suppose this is due to not having to worry about Sam showing up out of nowhere, which has taken a whole other weight off my shoulders. It feels like the worst of, well, everything, is over.

Even Dallas has been carrying himself in a better light. I know his job at the hospital has been a big part of that. He comes home happier than I’d ever seen him come home from Landry’s.

As horrifying as the situation was the last time I stepped foot in there, I’m thankful Aubrey hasn’t tried to contact Dallas. He did block her on everything, so she would have to find a loophole like Sam did if she was really that invested. But so far, things have been quiet.

“You had therapy yesterday, right? How’s that going?” Meredith asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“I’m still getting used to it. I’ve only had a few sessions, so I’m still getting to know her, but she’s nice and letting me take things at my pace for now.”

Meredith smiles so hard that the corners of her eyes wrinkle as she starts closing the gap between us. “That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you, Abby.” She pulls me into a hug, and despite how tight it is, I feel myself relax as I wrap my arms around her.

When she pulls away, she asks, “Did you say you were getting lunch with your mom today?”

“Lunch, dinner, depends on when we finish unloading everything. I’d at least like to have a bed set up to sleep in tonight before we leave.”

“You’ve seen her since court, though, right?”

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