I did my best to dial down my crazy, and Jules was as good as his word. He stayed close to me. The day was charged with furtive looks and stolen glances. We were mainly comfortable around each other, but there were parts of us that weren’t. We puttered around the cabin all day. I got the toolbox my dad kept under the seat of the GMC out, and we set about trying to repair the front door. Having a shared task felt good. It always felt good to work toward something with Jules. This was no different, but a couple of times, we reached for a nail or a screw at the same time as the other and we either moved our hands away a little too fast, or we leaned into each other a little too hard. We were being awkward around each other, there was no doubt about it.

My stress levels began to climb. Maybe I shouldn’t have bitten him. It was his first heat. He had no idea how to manage it. Neither of us did. Maybe we should have waited. Maybe we should have taken our time. Maybe he said it in the heat of the moment and now he regretted it. I wouldn’t blame him. It was a huge, huge commitment.

By the time the door was back on its hinges, my belly was a tight ball of stress and Jules had a big, fake smile plastered all over his face.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Sure,” I replied a little too quickly.

“’Cause if you’re not, we should probably talk about it.”

“I guess I’m just worried. It’s a lot. This whole thing is a lot. I know you were in heat and you weren’t yourself.”

“I knew what I was doing.” His voice was so certain it made me set my tools down and lean close to him.

“Did you mean it when you said you loved me?” I whispered. “’Cause it’s okay if you didn’t. It’s okay if it was the heat. You can tell me. We can work through it.”

“Sully,” he said, taking the side of my face in his hand and pulling it toward him sharply. “I don’t just love you. I wake up in the morning so I can see you. I eat and drink so I have the fuel I need to run beside you. I go to sleep at night so the next day will come sooner, and I can see you again. I don’t just love you. I live for you.”

“Holy shit.” I jumped to my feet and pulled him up to his. “I feel the same way. I feel exactly the same.” I threw my arms around him and lifted him off his feet. I was making a silly, high-pitched sound, but I didn’t mind.