Even Elodie had to admit the whole thing felt rushed.
Her engagement ring had fetched a small fortune at auction, yet his own ring-the one he''d wear for her had been thrown together so casually?
She couldn''t say why, but suddenly, Elodie found herself wondering about
Jarrod''s state of mind back then.
He''d done so much for her behind the scenes, pouring his heart into it.
But Jarrod was never the type to parade his devotion. When he cared for someone, he didn''t count the cost or expect anything in return.
Looking back, it seemed everything between them had been carefully, almost painstakingly orchestrated by him.
She even questioned-if not for all the things Jarrod quietly did would their bond have been so deep?
"You really know how to keep things bottled up," Elodie said quietly, stepping closer. She looked up at his refined features, gaze intent and searching.
Jarrod met her eyes, unwavering. "So should I be looking for some credit? Is it toote for that?"
Elodie''s lips quirked in a faint smile, but she didn''t answer. Instead, she stepped forward again, and before Jarrod even realized what was happening-she wrapped her arms around his waist, not too tight or loose.
With her eyes closed, Elodie rested her cheek against his chest.
Her mind flickered through a reel of memories, good and bad. In this moment, none of it seemed to matter as much anymore.
"Jarrod, get better soon, okay? When you''re well, let''s go see our child together."
That would be a fresh start.
A new life for them.
In the past weeks, she''de to realize so many things. There was no point blowing up the small stuff or clinging to the past.
Life was about the present-and whatever came next.
She couldn''t deny it anymore: Jarrod had broken through her defenses, again and again.
She''d always told herself she didn''t love him, but really, that feeling had just been buried, hidden behind a protective shell.
She''d pretended not to care, but that was never the truth. At the time, she''d just reached her limit, forced herself to move on.
But Jarrod always kept moving forward, step by step, as if to show her he''d always be walking the same road by her side.
Jarrod could feel her warmth through his shirt, her arms around his waist making him stiffen involuntarily.
It was a long moment before he lowered his gaze to look at her.
"Elodie?"
"You know me I''m not great with big decisions or sudden changes Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "don''t do this often Jarrod. But... let''s see where this
goes, together."
Jarrod felt something in his chest tremble and swell, filling him with a wild, dizzy happiness.
He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, his voice husky with emotion. "That''s all I''ve ever wanted."
They had loved each other, but somehow, through all those years, they''d never truly loved each other openly, heart to heart.
He knew how precious this moment was.
Even if Elodie was still sorting through her feelings, that was okay.
Her childhood had shaped her, made her guarded and stubborn, but that didn''t
matter patience was something Jarrod had in abundance.
So, to him, he and Elodie were always meant to be.
Elodie could feel the way Jarrod''s emotions radiated through his touch as if he wanted to merge her into himself. She had to pat his back. "Hey, loosen up a little need to breathe."
"Alright."
Jarrod let her go without hesitation.
Elodie finally caught her breath.
But as soon as she exhaled, Jarrod pulled her back into his arms, his chin
nestling into the crook of her neck.
"There. Are you done breathing now?"
Elodie stared at him, speechless. "Jarrod, what''s with the word games? Let go,
my phone''s ringing."
But Jarrod didn''t budge. He plopped
himself onto a barstool, one arm looping her between his knees, the other hand gently pinching her cheek and ying with her har "Go ahead. Answer it
Elodie rolled her eyes, but made a hush gesture and took the call anyway.
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