Ready or Not (Ready #4)(39)

“I should have been braver,” she said softly.

I lifted my head and gently rolled her toward me. “What do you mean?”

“When he came at me, I froze. I didn’t do anything. I’d just always thought that if I were ever in a situation like that, I would be braver, stronger.”

“Listen to me, Liv. You are not weak. What happened today is a testament to that. I heard you. You did everything you could. You tried to talk him down. That was the smartest thing you could have done. Anything else could have gotten you hurt.”

She rolled over, fitting her body into mine, as I wrapped my arm around her waist.

“Thank you for being there for me today,” she whispered.

“I’ll always be there for you,” I vowed before sleep claimed us both.

~Liv~

For the first time since going into business on my own, I called my assistant the next morning, shortly after waking up in Jackson’s arms, and I had her cancel all my patients for the day.

She didn’t ask questions, but I knew she must have realized it was huge. I pushed End on my phone and set it down on the bedside table. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I gazed out the window toward my house.

“You okay?”

I turned back to find Jackson awake, his head propped up on his hand as the other reached out for me. I met his hand halfway and watched as our fingers wove together, realizing I’d never once craved someone as deeply as I did with Jackson. It was as if my body and soul recognized him as someone safe and special, long before any other part of me had.

“I canceled on my patients,” I answered.

“You can’t be everything to everyone all the time, Liv. Sometimes, you have to take a moment for yourself.”

He tugged at my hand until I snuggled down next to him. The tips of our noses touched and I could feel his warm breath on the nape of my neck,

“I just feel like I’ve failed them,” I admitted.

His arms wrapped around me, and I felt the heat from his body soak into my pores.

“They’ll understand,” he urged. “Besides, you’re evading the question. I asked if you were okay. I wasn’t asking about your patients.”

It was a simple question. Was I okay?

Shouldn’t it be a simple answer?

“Honestly, I don’t know. I think back to yesterday, and I feel nothing and everything, all at the same time. It could have been so much worse,” I said, my voice starting to quiver.

“But it wasn’t.”

“No, because you came.” I looked up at him, staring into those silvery gray eyes I’d grown so fond of, and I saw a future I’d never known I would ever want. The possibility scared me. Feeling suddenly overwhelmed, I turned away, turning toward the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for work soon?” I asked, knowing he usually left for work around this time.

“Actually”—he smiled,—“I was just about to call in sick myself.”

“Jackson, you can’t! You just started this job!” I nearly screeched.

Not moving an inch, his grin widened. “Watch me.”

He leaned forward, grabbing his cell phone off the nightstand. I stared in awed silence as he punched a few buttons and pulled the phone up to his ear.

“You really shouldn’t do—” I was cut off as he held up a finger and proceeded to greet the person on the other end.

He rose from the bed and motioned to me that he was headed downstairs. His phone conversation continued as he made his way down the stairs, the sound of his voice disappearing as he moved through the house.

I looked around briefly—for what, I wasn’t sure—and I finally decided to get up. I’d never spent the night at a man’s house without dying to vacate the premises as soon as the sun broke over the horizon.

Mia was right. I really was kind of like a dude.

Over the years, I’d convinced myself that it was because I was a solitary person who enjoyed my alone time. I’d hated staying over at a man’s house because it was foreign to me—different bed, strange sheets, and unhealthy food options in the morning. But really, it had nothing to do with any of that.

The majority of my adult life, I had been living with a genuine fear of intimacy when it came to members of the opposite sex. I thrived on exploring emotions in other areas of my life—both professionally and personally—but when it came to my love life, I would close myself off.

Until now.

Jackson’s mattress felt different, and his sheets were definitely new, but none of that mattered anymore because of him. If I went downstairs and all he had to serve me was Pop-Tarts and Frosted Flakes, I’d happily take it.

Because it was Jackson.

I wasn’t ready to walk down the aisle or buy a minivan quite yet, but at least I could get out of this bed, walk down the stairs, and know that I was where I was supposed to be.

For once in my life, I wasn’t closing myself off to the possibility of more.

~Jackson~

After setting the coffee maker to brew, I headed to my desk and flipped open my laptop.

I might have called in sick, but I still had a few things to accomplish remotely.

I logged in and waited for everything to boot up, my eyes shifting toward the window where I could see Liv’s house next door.