Page 86 of Yours, Forever

I bit my lip. He tapped his fingers against his thigh.

"I am not going to fight you for a fair share of your things," he said. "It's in our prenup, remember. Whatever assets we get while married, if shared, will be yours. The house won't be different, no matter whose name is on the deed."

"How can you be okay with that? Being married to you hasn't been so hard I need more than what we agreed on. If we live together in this house, it'll be harder… if…whenthings…"

He cradled my face in his hands. "We can be happy here. Together. For as long as it lasts. If it would make you happy, I could buy you the town. All of Laguna Island, yours. I know you enough to know that's not what's in your heart. So let me buy you this house, so we can make the most of the time we have."

"Max…"

"Say yes, darling. Don't ask me to stop, not about this."

I put my hands over his, our eyes locked, as he offered me the world.

Chains and ropes and cement blocks, it all dissolved. For an instant, they were nothing but the ghosts of my fears.

With the seed of clarity taking hold of my heart, I told him yes.

He kissed my forehead, and emailed his realtor in the next breath.

I didn't know it yet, but this feeling would take me even further that day.

We spent an hour taking note of things we wanted to point out to the realtor, and things we wanted to change if— when we got the house. We went to rEvalution after; I took the evening shift to give everyone a break, now that I felt better. Max worked from his armchair, and kept me company during closing.

It was one of the long opening days, and it was late into the night. Even though it was early September, the return to school distractions meant that the shop had been empty for more than an hour.

Max went to the backroom and collected our things; he left them at the working table together to grab and go as soon as I was ready.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as I turned off the POS.

He leaned on the door jamb and watched me put all the cleaning rags in a bag to wash at home.

"I'm okay. Normal again. A bit anxious now that we decided to get the house."

"Is the stress going to make you feel bad again?"

"I don't think so. That's an honor for my mom to keep."

I washed my hands, put on some of the lotion I kept hidden under the counter, and gave the place one last check.

"You don't look like you were sick for twenty-four hours. Must be the sexy nurse taking care of you."

I smirked. "Obviously."

He gave me the same charming smile that I had learned to expect, but there was a depth to his eyes, a certain sadness I didn't often see.

I leaned on the door jamb across from him, hands at my back as I studied him. This brought us close, but not so close we touched. Couldn't go farther apart, either.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried about it… yet. But I'd like to know."

His charming energy, always on, dimmed as he inspected me. "Do you really want to know?"

I lowered my chin and gave him a look, asking him not to evade.

"Tell me. What's going on?" I asked in a soft voice.