Page 80 of Worth the Wait

"I'm sure about you," I reply, leaning forward to press my forehead against his. "About us. The rest is just logistics."

Chapter 20

Jackson

Istare at the small velvet box nestled between folded shirts in my suitcase, my heart racing like I'm a teenager again. The diamond daisy design took weeks to finalize with the jeweler—preserving my grandmother's stone while creating something uniquelyher.

"Did you pack my extra phone charger?" Tarryn calls from the bathroom, her voice echoing slightly off the tile.

I quickly tuck the box deeper into my luggage, covering it with a sweater. "Got it. Along with your book and that lavender lotion you can't sleep without."

Her laugh drifts through my apartment. It’s been two months since we both accepted the roles in New York and we're finally taking a weekend away, back to where it all began.

Tarryn appears in the doorway, toothbrush in hand, hair twisted up in a messy bun that exposes the elegant line of her neck. "I don'tneedthe lotion," she protests, though we both know she absolutely does.

"Sure, and I don't need coffee in the morning." I zip the suitcase closed, securing her secret inside. "You ready for this? Going home?"

Her expression softens as she leans against the doorframe. “Of course, going home always feels so relaxing. No work emergencies, no more weird surprises leaving us to make huge life decisions like promotions.”

If only she knew.

The milesbetween Chicago and Maple Ridge unspool like a thread connecting our present to our past. Tarryn dozes in the passenger seat, her breathing deep and even as I navigate through increasingly familiar back roads.

She stirs as we exit the highway, blinking into consciousness as recognition dawns. "We're almost there," she murmurs, voice husky with sleep, straightening in her seat.

"Welcome back, sleepyhead." I reach across the console to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, the casual intimacy of the gesture still sometimes catching me off guard—that I can touch her like this now, whenever I want. "Perfect timing."

The Maple Ridge welcome sign appears, freshly painted but otherwise unchanged. My pulse quickens as we pass landmarks from our youth—memories flooding back with each familiar sight.

"Oh my God, look at Rosie's Diner!" Tarryn exclaims, pointing at the chrome-and-neon establishment where we spent countless hours studying, her feet tangled with mine under Formica tables. "Remember when you tried to impress me by doing that five-pound burger challenge?"

"And failed spectacularly." I laugh, the memory crystal clear despite the years. "You kissed me anyway."

"You looked so pitiful, how could I not?" Her fingers find mine, squeezing gently.

We drive past the movie theater where we had our first official date—the marquee showing titles I don't recognize, but the building eternally unchanged, the high school looming in the distance.

Her thumb traces circles on my palm, the simple touch sending warmth spiraling up my arm. "I never thought I'd feel this way about coming back. I spent so long running from this place."

"And now?"

"Now I think I needed to leave so I could appreciate coming home again. With you."

I have to look away, afraid the emotion might overwhelm me. The ring in my suitcase suddenly feels more prominent with each mile closer to our destination, the knowledge of what I'm planning settling in my chest.

"Almost there," I say, turning down the familiar street that leads to my parents' house where we'll stay tonight before continuing to Tarryn's family tomorrow. The perfect cover for my early morning plans.

Her hand squeezes mine again, anchoring me to this moment, to her. "I'm glad we came back.”

We don’t even make it out of the car before my mom is running out of the house with her arms wide open like she hasn’t seen me in years.

“Come inside, I just made lunch,” she says, pushing us inside where my father grabs me, pulling me in for a fierce hug. We catch up over lunch, the tensions that I know Tarryn has secretly been carrying about seeing my parents again melting away.

By the time the evening rolls around, we’re both exhausted, deciding to tuck in early.

"Rise and shine, beautiful."I brush my lips against Tarryn's temple, watching her eyes flutter open, confusion clouding them momentarily before recognition dawns.

"What time is it?" she mumbles, voice thick with sleep as she burrows deeper under the comforter.

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