“I’d come here sometimes just to read,” I said, going up toward the edge of the ledge and sitting down. It wasn’t very high up, so it didn’t trigger my fear of heights, but it was high enough to create a weird tickle in my core. I let my feet dangle, and Jake did the same, sitting next to me, his hand coming to encase mine.

“It’s peaceful here,” Jake said. His eyes turned forward, following the curving river as it disappeared around a bend. Evergreen pines grew on either side of us, dancing slightly in the gentle breeze. A squirrel fought with another one as they spiraled up the trunk, chittering and chattering to each other.

“Peaceful. As if I even know what that is right now.”

“It’s whatever I feel when I’m with you. I know that much.”

I smiled at Jake and was surprised at how genuine it felt. It had the effect of turning a light in on a dark room, erasing the cobwebs and imaginary demons that lurked in the corners. “I seriously don’t know how I would have gotten through all this without you,” I said, allowing the honest emotions to rise to the surface. “You could have turned around and left at any moment. A lot of guys probably would have, but you stayed. And you keep me from losing my mind on a daily basis.”

“Anyone who would have left when you needed them most didn’t deserve you in the first place.” Jake’s hand squeezed around mine. His thumb traced soft circles against my skin. It created another sense of warmth and comfort that I wasn’t really ready for. It blew down any defenses or barriers I had left between us, if there had even been any left.

“Franky wouldn’t have stayed past that first night at the book club.”

“Pfft, Franky wouldn’t have even been at the book club. I thought we agreed that guy was trash?”

I chuckled, leaning into the solid column of man that sat next to me. “Very true. Thank God the trash has been taken out.”

“It has,” Jake said. He kicked his leg out, twining it around mine. I picked up a rock in my free hand and lazily tossed it toward the river, landing painfully short of it. Jake wore a thin gray hoodie that made him look more handsome than he already was, even though it hid some of his more muscular attributes. I had a feeling Jake could wear a trash bag and still make it look good.

“How did I get this lucky—well, and unlucky, I guess.”