Page 44 of By Your Side
“But I do want to slow down,” she said, softer now. “Because if I don’t, I’m going to fall all the way into whatever this is. And I don’t know if I’ll survive it if it doesn’t work.”
I rested my forehead against hers, trying to steady the thudding in my chest.
“What if it doesn’t fall apart? What if it all works out? What if I’m always here to catch you when or if you fall?”
“Maybe that’s what scares me the most.”
And I held her.
Right there in the gravel lot, under the flickering purple neon and the quiet hum of everything that was finally starting.
Neither of us said anything else.
Chapter 13
Paige
By the time I pulled into the driveway, my hands were still shaking.
I sat in the car for a solid five minutes, staring at the porch light and trying to decide if I’d just made the best decision of my life—or set a match to everything I’d worked so hard to keep safe.
I kissed Hunter Cassidy.
Twice.
And not soft little maybe-this-means-nothing kisses.
No, I kissed him like I meant it.
Because I did.
And that scared the absolute shit out of me.
But what scared me even more was how incredible it was - how completely, irreversibly right it felt. Like the kind of kiss that rearranges something in you. Like after that moment, nothing could go back to the way it was before.
And that scared the absolute shit out of me.
Inside, the house was still. The living room was dim except for the glow of the lamp by the couch. I dropped my keys into the end table, kicked off my boots, and padded into the kitchen like someone might stop me and demand an explanation for my actions.
The house was quiet as I grabbed a glass and turned on the tap for some water. My throat tightened as I tried to swallow.
Hunter was everything I never let myself want. Kind. Loyal. Safe. And worse, he’d never once used any of that against me. Never manipulated me by making me think he’d be there for me, then disappear.
I braced my hands on the counter and stared at the tile floor, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
His lips. The way he’d kissed me like he couldn’t help himself. The way he’dwaited—calm, silent, letting me be the one to choose.
And I had. Ichosehim. I kissed him. It was all me.
I let out a breath and opened the fridge, looking for nothing, really. Just movement. Something to do with my hands while my head tried to unscramble itself.
You’re not falling in love with him.
You’re just overwhelmed. You’re tired. You’re touch-starved. You’re emotionally fried and probably a little bit feral.
That’s what this was. It wasn’t love. It couldn’t be. Not yet. Except it felt like falling in love. Even better, it felt like coming home.
I pressed a hand to my mouth, remembering the way he’d said,I’ll catch you if you fall,like it wasn’t even a question. Like the idea ofnotcatching me had never crossed his mind.
