WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD ✸ Joel Miller

xviii. Love Conquers All

[ CHAPTER EIGHTEEN ! ] 

love conquers all

"SHE'S FINE NOW. JUST sleeping." I slide my glove off and toss it in the bin in the corner of the motel living room before placing my back against the wall and sliding down it with my head in my hands. 

I don't want to think about what Hayden and I endured tonight. I don't even want to blink, I'm too afraid I'll see Hayden's fading body again. Joel is setting up his sleeping area but that's not something I want to focus on. 

Henry is sitting next to me, eating. I don't understand how he's eating after what just happened. 

"How old are you, Henry?" Maybe if I get to know Henry it'll distract me from almost losing my daughter and allow me to focus on this new boy in my life. 

"Twenty-five." 

This makes me smile. I hum lightly. "You're around my son's age." 

He tilts his head to the side slightly, eating another handful. "What's his name?"

"Jeremy." 

"Where's he at now?" 

I remove my gaze from his and begin fiddling with the necklace in my shirt. "I had a miscarriage." 

I don't have to look at him to see the sorrow in the form of his features. "I'm sorry."

 I nod, a silent thank you. I don't want to say it's okay. It's not. Nothing about what happened that night is okay. 

"Can I ask you something?" He sets his food aside, and I nod. He glances over at Joel on the opposite side of the room, then back at me. "Why'd you stay?" 

It would be a lie to say I don't. I know exactly why. I know exactly why I've stayed this entire time. "Love conquers all, Henry." 

HENRY DECIDED HE WAS GOING to get Ice for his cup of tap water nearly a minute ago, and here Joel and I remain. He's staring down in between his shoes with a saddened gaze and all I want is to know what's going on in that mind of his. 

I sit against the wall next to him and sigh softly. "I'm sorry."

His eyebrows furrow a little bit but he doesn't quite look at me. "What for?" 

I shrug. He knows what I'm sorry for. "Everything." 

Everything seems like an understatement for all of the things I want to apologize for.

He nods and I reach into my pocket again, fishing for a penny. There's one left. 

With an attempt of a smile, I pull it out and reach my palm out for him to see. "Penny for your thoughts?"  

I can see the muscles in his jaw clench and unclench. Then, the brief shake of his head. I can swear, I can almost see him smile. His lips look like they're about to form the shape of one and it makes me smile even wider. "You wouldn't want to know." 

"Is that a challenge?" 

He finally looks at me. His eyes have softened, and they're smiling right at me. It's like a piece of my husband has returned. "Read my mind." 

I'm trying to. I'm reading his eyes and the look he's giving me is familiar. But I don't want to act on it in case I'm wrong. 

The look is so much that I have to pull my eyes away, just to contain from blushing like a teenage girl. 

"What?" He chuckles. Chuckles. My heart flutters just at the sound. 

"I haven't heard that in a long time." 

He's smiling now. Just a little bit. I can tell he really doesn't want to but it makes mine grow even more so. And it's so nice. 

It's such an illuminating feeling to have him look at me with happiness for once. With a soft gaze that isn't tied to negative emotion. 

And the look I've missed the most, is the one he gives me next. 

And without permission, without hesitation, he kisses me.

a/n

idk why my outline for this chapter was so short but it's a triple update so deal with it