Page 79 of Letters of Faith
She lowers herself to the top step, and I sit beside her. I want to reach out and rub my knuckles along the skin of her jaw, but I keep my hands in my lap instead, letting her come to me.
“How did you know I was here?” I ask, careful to keep any emotion out of my voice.
A blush creeps into her cheeks as she looks down at her lap. “Emryn.”
“Of course,” I grumble. It comes out harsher than I mean it to, and Georgia must take it the wrong way because her shoulders sink indefeat.
“We sort of started to become friends after the first time they visited your house. We exchanged numbers, and she started texting me. I hope you’re not mad. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you how you would feel about that. I should have,” she says in a rush.
“Georgia,” I say, placing my hand on hers, unable to hold myself back any longer. I need to feel her skin against mine like I need to breathe. “It’s okay. That’s not what I meant. I meant she was acting suspicious—like she was up to something. I wasn’t trying to hide from you. I forever want you to know where I am.”
Her eyes meet mine, a flicker of hope lying in those green irises.
“Really?” she asks, and I can’t help the disappointment that stabs at my heart. I’d hoped she understood how important she is to me since she is here, but she still doesn’t get it. As much as I don’t want it to, that hurts. My whole life, I’ve been trying to prove myself to someone, and I’d just hoped that Georgia was the person that could see me. Despite that, though, if she needs reassurance, I’ll offer it to her every day of my life as long as it means I get to keep her.
“Really, Georgia,” I say, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my wallet.
Curious, she tracks my movements, causing her brows to dip as she watches me.
With my wallet in hand, I pull a slip of paper out, holding it between my middle finger and forefinger. I extend my hand to her, and realization dawns on her.
“Is that Nate’s letter?”
“Yes.”
“You found it?”
“Brooks helped me,” I say, and a look of surprise crosses her features. “It’s a long story. Take it. Read it.”
She shakes her head, her hair falling across her face as she does.
“I want you to, Georgia.”
The set of her face becomes more determined, and she gives one more stiff shake of her head.
“No, Grayson. Listen to me.” She takes my hand and holds it between hers, trapping the letter in between us. “I had no right to demand to see that letter. I should have trusted you—I do trust you. I was just—scared.”
“Of me?” I ask. The thought sits like a lead balloon in my stomach.
“No,” Georgia says vehemently, shaking her head and hair spilling around her. “Never you, Gray.
“Then what?”
Her teeth sink into her bottom lip, and I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.
“Of myself, mostly. You’re right—I tend to make decisions because other people want me to, but you—you’re the first decision I’ve made in a really long time because it was something I wanted. You are something I want, and when Harper told me about the letter—I was just afraid of losing you. If you were only with me because Nate asked you to—well, it was only a matter of time until you realized we couldn’t live our life like that. But here’s the thing, Grayson—if I had been listening to you, really listening to you, I would have already known that you weren’t going anywhere. You’ve shown me that you love me in a million little ways, and I ignored those signs because I was too busy being eaten alive with my own guilt.”
“Guilt?”
Her sigh is heavy. “At first, it was guilt because I felt things for you that felt like a betrayal to Nate, but then I started getting his letters. I realized that he didn’t want me to spend the rest of my life being lonely, but I still felt guilty because I didn’t think he meant to move on with his best friend—when I found out that was exactly what he meant—well, I was upset with myself because Iwasted so much time holding myself back from you. You deserve everything, and instead, you’ve given me everything.”
A lightness I’ve never felt before in my life feels my soul. It’s like coming home.
“Oh, Georgia,” I say, pulling my hand from hers and dragging her towards me. She comes willingly as I lift her and place her on my lap. “You’ve given me more than you’ll ever realize. You’ve been the light guiding me home my whole life. This last week has been dark without you.”
She dips her head to my shoulder, and tears fall onto my shirt. “I’m sorry I left, Grayson.”
“Read the letter, sweetheart. Not because I think you need it to trust me, but because I want you to have that final closure—leaving no other secrets between us. But fair warning, once that happens, you’re mine forever. I won’t let you go again.”
