37. Tessa

Do you want me to stay with you tonight?

As if the answer was anything other than always.

Adam’s eyes glinted in the dusk. Even though I knew he had moments in the past few hours when he wanted to tell me what to do, to take control of the situation, he hadn’t.

I reached for his hand.

“I told you I’d wait for you,” he said, his tone low and clear.

My heart felt as if it might burst out of my chest. The rhythm of its beat was strong and steady, and joy mingled with the intense relief I felt at Eric being safe.

“If it’s not a good time because of Eric—” Adam began.

I placed a finger over his lips. “I want to stay with you tonight.” I glanced over at Eric, who was smiling when Kenan threw a rock at another rock. It didn’t take much to lighten a stressful moment. Kids were so resilient.

I was profoundly grateful to Adam’s family for being here and for being the distraction my son needed after the moments of fear he must’ve experienced when he realized what was happening.

Bemused, I shook my head as I glanced over at Adam. “What are they doing?”

His lips curled at the corners as he rolled his eyes. “If there’s nothing else to do, you can always throw a rock at a boulder. As far as I can tell, they’re all trying to see who can most accurately hit that mark. Fun stuff.”

Joy fizzed inside me, and I burst out laughing. A part of me couldn’t believe I could even laugh. But I was simply emotionally overwhelmed, and laughter was a deeply needed release valve.

I didn’t know when I would have time to process all of this or how long it would take. Right now, I was relieved my son was safe and Adam was here. Really, that was all that mattered.

“Your place or mine?” Adam asked.

“I’d say yours, but I think it’s best for Eric to be in his own room tonight.”

Hours later, the adrenaline had dissipated from my system. Before we left to come home, I’d had a moment with Rich’s mother. I wouldn’t say that I would ever feel totally comfortable with her, but I trusted her in a way I didn’t think was possible. When it mattered, when it really really mattered, she had done the right thing.

Barb had also apologized to me. When she walked away, I realized she was going home to a man who probably treated her like Rich treated me, and it broke my heart. There was only so much I could do. The police chief had put his hand on my shoulder when I’d reflexively moved to follow her as if I could fix it.

“She knows her options. Maybe you staying in touch with her and seeing what happened with her son and grandson will help her take the steps she needs to,” he said gently.

I hated that I felt peace for the first time in years. Honestly, since the very first time Rich had yelled at me.

I took an unsteady breath and let it out. I had tried to talk some with Eric, but when we got home, he just wanted to play a video game and relax. I knew there would be more to process later, but he had a therapist, he had me, and he had Adam. We would process when the time was right.

I looked up at Adam. My hips rested against the kitchen counter with Adam’s hands curled around the edge.

“Let’s go to bed,” I said.

His smile was slow, and my belly spun in flips.

With his hand warm around mine, I led him into the bedroom. In the year and a half I had been here, this tiny apartment had felt so cozy and safe. Yet, finally tonight, the thread of tension pulled taut inside as a result of Rich’s mere presence in our world had snapped free. With Adam here, the degree of safety and comfort I felt was beyond anything I could’ve imagined.

A moment later, the door closed with a soft click behind us. Adam was right behind me, his hand still holding mine. The burgeoning need for him felt like a fire kindling inside, the flames rising higher and higher between us.

“Tell me something, Tessa.”

“Anything,” I whispered.

He paused, considering his words. “I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you. These past few weeks have been really difficult. I’ll still wait until you’re ready, but how do you feel about us now?”