BooksBarbecue
Back The Companion Project
Chapters (89)
  1. Dedication
  2. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  3. ONE
  4. HENRY
  5. TWO
  6. EMMA
  7. THREE
  8. HENRY
  9. FOUR
  10. EMMA
  11. FIVE
  12. EMMA
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. HENRY
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. HENRY
  20. ELEVEN
  21. TWELVE
  22. EMMA
  23. THIRTEEN
  24. HENRY
  25. FOURTEEN
  26. HENRY
  27. FIFTEEN
  28. SIXTEEN
  29. EMMA
  30. SEVENTEEN
  31. HENRY
  32. EIGHTEEN
  33. HENRY
  34. NINETEEN
  35. HENRY
  36. TWENTY
  37. TWENTY-ONE
  38. EMMA
  39. TWENTY-TWO
  40. EMMA
  41. TWENTY-THREE
  42. HENRY
  43. TWENTY-FOUR
  44. EMMA
  45. TWENTY-FIVE
  46. EMMA
  47. TWENTY-SIX
  48. EMMA
  49. TWENTY-SEVEN
  50. HENRY
  51. TWENTY-EIGHT
  52. EMMA
  53. TWENTY-NINE
  54. HENRY
  55. THIRTY
  56. HENRY
  57. THIRTY-ONE
  58. HENRY
  59. THIRTY-TWO
  60. EMMA
  61. THIRTY-THREE
  62. HENRY
  63. THIRTY-FOUR
  64. EMMA
  65. THIRTY-FIVE
  66. EMMA
  67. THIRTY-SIX
  68. HENRY
  69. THIRTY-SEVEN
  70. EMMA
  71. THIRTY-EIGHT
  72. HENRY
  73. THIRTY-NINE
  74. HENRY
  75. FORTY
  76. EMMA
  77. FORTY-ONE
  78. HENRY
  79. FORTY-TWO
  80. FORTY-THREE
  81. EMMA
  82. FORTY-FOUR
  83. EMMA
  84. FORTY-FIVE
  85. HENRY
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ALSO BY CHELSEA CURTO
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Walking side by side, hand in hand, cuddled close under an umbrella to keep the rain away?

Using a flashlight to navigate the darkness together?

“I do. I love you, Henry. So much.”

“I might fuck this up. I’m definitely going to fuck this up. Again and again,” he says, moving closer.

How have we not touched yet? How have we kept our hands to ourselves? I need to touch him. Feel him. Know that he’s real.

“You might. Who’s to say I won’t fuck this up too? We can fuck up together.”

Together.

The constant word we’ve repeated, anchoring us to each other when we need it the most.

Henry takes my hand, finally, fingers running over the knuckles. “Emma. These past few months have been indescribable. I know I messed up. I did something wrong. It’ll never happen again. I also know actions speak louder for words, and I’m going to have to earn your trust back. It won’t happen overnight. Or tomorrow, or the next day. Or even in the next year. But I want to try harder. For you. Because of you. With you.”

I bring my palm to his cheek. He nuzzles into the touch, letting out a content sigh and turning to kiss my hand, the press of his lips igniting my skin.

“We’re going to keep messing up. One day you’ll be mad at me about something. We’re not going to keep a tally sheet of who’s done more wrongs than rights.”

“I could never be mad at you, honey.”

“When I make you cook your own dinner you might get pissed off.”

“Okay, that’s crossing a line.”

“You know it’s going to be hard to ever top a rented-out museum and flowers everywhere, right?”

“I’m well aware. I also remember you telling me this would earn me a lot of points.”

“How did you even make this happen?”

“Well, you saw the help I had. Not only did they knock some sense into me, but they also sprang into action when I needed help. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” Henry rests his forehead against mine, bending his knees, lowering to my height.

The apology breaks me, dredging up the hurt and pain I’ve felt the last week. “I forgive you, but I’m so mad at you. We’re going to have a very big fight about this,” I choke, eyes leaking again. “So many fights.”

“Fight me all you want, baby. I deserve it. I missed you so fucking much. Every day without you was a new day in hell. And it still didn’t feel like enough suffering for what I did.”

“I was in pain, too.”