Everything with you

Part 62

Emma

I woke up to warmth. A kind of safety I hadn't felt in a long time.

The room was filled with soft morning light, seeping in through the cracks in the blinds. I was still curled up against Justin, the rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek a gentle reminder that this—he—was real. That I hadn't dreamed the night before.

That he hadn't let go.

I blinked slowly, stretching just slightly, and glanced up.

He was already awake.

Lying on his side, one arm under his head, the other resting on my back, fingers still lightly tangled in the hem of my sweater. His eyes were fixed on me, but his mind was somewhere else—far away, wrapped up in some unspoken thought that weighed heavy behind his gaze.

Before I could say anything, he pulled me in tighter.

No words. No warning. Just his arms around me, one hand cradling the back of my head as if I were something fragile he didn't know how to hold but couldn't bear to let go of.

The hug felt warm. Solid. Right.

I felt it in his heartbeat, the way his grip didn't ease for a long time. He wasn't just holding me—he was making a promise without speaking it out loud.

And I believed him.

I could've stayed like that forever, but a muffled voice echoed from downstairs—then another. Laughter. Talking. Movement.

Justin's body tensed beneath me. His eyes flicked toward the door.

"I'll go check," he said softly, brushing a hand down my arm before slipping out of bed.

The room felt colder the second he left.

I sat up slowly, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders for a moment before shaking it off. My body still ached with the weight of yesterday. The memories. The fear. But something in me had shifted too.

I wasn't alone anymore.

After a quick rinse and throwing on one of Justin's hoodies that hung loosely around my thighs, I padded downstairs barefoot, following the sound of voices.

I paused at the bottom step.

Joel was on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, holding a tablet and looking way too comfortable for someone who probably just found out his best friend had a hit on her.

Ash was leaned back in the armchair with a sandwich in hand, nodding along to something Nate was saying between mouthfuls of food. There were papers, printouts, and someone's half-eaten protein bar on the coffee table. Controlled chaos.

And Justin...

Justin was pacing.

Back and forth across the living room like a general mapping out a war he didn't know how to win. His fingers raked through his hair every third lap, his lips moving silently as he processed something internal.

He didn't even notice me at first.

But when he finally did, his whole face softened. Just slightly. Just for me.

I stepped fully into the room.

Joel looked up and gave me a small nod. "Hey, Em. We were just getting started. Hope you don't mind—I finished the last pot of coffee"

I blinked at him, then gave a small, surprised laugh.

"Chaos is his love language," Nate added, mouth still full.