Page 198 of Break the Ice
And the truth is… I’m not. Not fully.
My brain keeps spinning—over Dylan, over Paige, over the fact that in less than twenty-four hours, we’ll be on a plane and Finley will be here without us. Without me.
The idea twists something sharp in my gut.
Then her hand slides over mine where it’s resting on her knee. Just a small thing. Her fingers lacing through mine like she knows exactly where my head’s at without me saying a word.
And Eli… Eli just smiles.
It’s a simple enough action, but the ease that it washes over me is everything I need.
A look from him and a touch from her…
And my world steadies itself.
CHAPTER 60
ELIJAH
Finley’s curled into the corner of the sectional;Wuthering Heightsopen in her lap even though her eyes are closed while she rests her head on Jayden’s shoulder. He’s sprawled beside her, one arm along the back of the cushions, all relaxed posture despite his restless energy.
I’m on her other side with her feet tucked under my thigh, trying to pretend I’m not watching both of them.
But I am.
I can’t help it—the way she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear only for it to slip loose again, the way Jayden’s thumb brushes her knee in absent circles when she leans closer to nuzzle into him.
The three of us together should feel chaotic. Too much.
It doesn’t.
It feels like the first deep breath after years of holding it.
I’ve spent so long living in the shadows of old rules and old sins that the warmth of this room feels dangerous. Like it might be ripped away if I reach for it too hard.
Finley laughs—soft and low at something Jayden says—and the sound hits me square in the chest. Knocks the air right out of my lungs.
I want this.
God help me, I want them.
Jayden grins at her reaction, that easy, crooked smile tugging at his mouth. But when the sound fades, so does the light in his eyes. It’s quick—like a cloud passing over the sun—but I see it. The weight sliding back into his shoulders when he thinks no one’s looking.
“You sure you’re good?” The question leaves me before I can stop it, low enough that Finley glances up too.
Jayden drags a hand over his face like he’s been turning something over in his head. “Yeah. Just… thinking. About us.” His throat works around the words before he turns, pinning me with those whiskey-brown eyes. “About what we said earlier. At the park.”
Finley shifts between us, curiosity flickering across her face. “What did you say?”
I hold Jayden’s gaze for a long beat before I answer. “That maybe we keep doing this.” My voice feels rougher than I mean it to, like it’s clawing its way out. “Figuring it out as we go.”
Jayden nods slowly, eyes cutting to Finley and back to me. “I’m enjoying it. More than I expected to.” His voice dips, the next words coming out like he’s confessing something he’s been sitting on all day. “And maybe I don’t want it to be temporary.”
Finley goes very still between us, the book forgotten in her lap.
The room feels smaller suddenly. Quieter.
Her fingers rest over mine where they’ve been on her thigh this whole time, soft but certain, like she’s anchoring herself before she speaks. “So… what does that mean?”
