by Aven Ellis
My stomach feels like ice. My hands grow clammy. I ease my car in behind Aubrey’s, and fear grips my heart. My heart and my future is with Landon. He has to forgive me. He has to.
Because no other person will be my puzzle piece.
I get out of the car and dread sweeps over me as I walk up to the house. I go through the front door, and find my mom, Aubrey, and Nana sitting in the living room. They all stop talking the second I come in.
“Why didn’t you answer your cell?” Aubrey blurts out. “I’ve been looking for you!”
“Why?” I manage to get out in a whisper. “Is it Landon?”
My hand grips my toolbox tighter as I await her answer.
“Yes!” Aubrey declares. “He’s going crazy trying to find you. You won’t answer his texts or calls and he thought you would after his Instagram post but—”
“What?” I interrupt, my heart springing to life. “What are you talking about?”
“Livy!” Aubrey cries, her eyes wide. “Haven’t you looked at your phone at all today?”
Now my heart is slamming against my ribs. “No.” I fumble for it in my tote, but I don’t feel it. I pull it open and look inside, and then I remember dropping my bag on the floor of his living room . . . “I don’t have it. I dropped my tote at Landon’s. I think it must be there.”
“That explains everything. You have to see this.”
Aubrey quickly grabs her phone off the coffee table and steps over to me. She swipes a few things, and then I see she is accessing her Instagram account.
“Landon put this up today,” she says.
Aubrey turns her phone toward me so I can see his Instagram account.
I look down at the screen, which has a picture Landon posted of us together while taking a selfie. Landon has his arm around me, and I’m laughing, and he’s looking at me with nothing but pure love in his eyes. I hold my breath as I read the message:
Landy94 The only woman I’ve ever loved is right here in my arms. She is everything to me. My entire world. And I refuse to know a world without her in it. I love you @JewlerybyLivy.
I begin to shake as I read his words over and over. Landon posted this after our fight.
Which means only one thing.
He still loves me.
“I,” I gasp, fighting back tears, “I have to go to him.”
“Yes!” Aubrey cries, nodding. “He thinks you aren’t going to forgive him. He’s out of his mind that you haven’t returned his phone calls or texts. I told him he was being ridiculous, but he wasn’t having it. He’s convinced you hate him for what he said to you today.”
“I’m going right now. Aubrey, text him and tell him I’m on my way to see him at his place.”
Aubrey nods. Before I go, I run over to Nana and kiss her on the cheek.
“I love you so much. I owe you everything,” I say, my voice thick.
“Nonsense,” Nana says, touching my face with her hand. “You would have gone after him anyway. I know my granddaughter. And I know your heart.”
I blink back tears. “Thank you.”
“Go,” Nana urges, smiling gently at me.
I take off, leaving everyone behind as I go to my car. I’m desperate to get to him now. To tell Landon how sorry I am, the mistakes I’ve made, but also to tell him all the reasons why I fell in love with him and why he’s the only man I will ever love like this. I held back my feelings for so long, out of fear of him not feeling the same things.
But I know what is in Landon’s heart now.
I love you @JewlerybyLivy, I think, seeing his Instagram post flash through my head as I drive toward the city. I blink back tears as I think of how long he’s loved me, but his fears of hurting me silenced him.
No more of that, I think with determination. We’re going to say it to each other whenever we want, knowing it’s real.
Knowing it’s forever.
I slow down as I hit a wall of traffic entering the city. Damn it, it’s going to take forever to get to Landon, which makes me want to cry. I take a few calming breaths of air, but it doesn’t work. Nothing will work until I see him.
Traffic inches along. I fight the desperate, panicky feeling building within my chest. Hopefully he’ll listen to Aubrey. That Landon believes I’m coming over to make things right with him. That I am showing up and haven’t changed my mind . . .
Finally, I reach the Jourdin Chicago. I park my car in a visitor slot, but luckily Landon issued me a security card for the private elevator so I can get in without having to check in at the lobby desk.
I access the elevator and punch the button for his floor. As the elevator ascends, I begin pacing. I’m on the verge of tears, thinking of how upset Landon has been this afternoon. That he believed I wasn’t going to forgive him, when in reality, I was praying he could forgive me.
The doors open, and I don’t hesitate. I hurry right out, running down the hallway to his door.
I immediately knock on his door, as I don’t feel right using the key now. “Landon!” I call out, my voice breaking as I press my palm against the wood. “It’s me.”
I hear his footsteps. My heart holds still. The lock turns, and I brace myself to face him.
The door jerks open. Landon faces me, his blue eyes quickly searching mine. His emotions are all there for me to read. I see fear reflected in them. I see worry that I’m not going to forgive him.
And I see love like I’ve never seen in my life.
There are no rules anymore. There’s no timeline, there’s no who should go first, there’s no fear of making a mistake.
And I’m grabbing his love with both hands now.
”If she loves you, she will come after you,” I say, my voice breaking. “And I’m coming after you, Landon. I love you. I love you more than I’ve loved anyone in my whole life. And I’ll be in your life forever if you’ll let me.”
Landon’s face becomes a watery blur in my eyes, but as soon as I’m done speaking, he reaches for me. Landon swiftly shuts the door with one hand, then both hands pull me into his body, and his gaze burns intently into mine as he holds on to me.
“Say it again,” he whispers, his voice choking up with emotion. “Tell me you love me.”
“I love you,” I say, my voice strong as I put my shaking hands on his arms. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
As soon as I say those words to him, Landon’s eyes fill with tears.
“I’ve only wanted to hear those words from one woman,” he whispers, his voice thick. “And now I have.”
A sob escapes my throat, and Landon caresses my face with his hands.
“I love you, I love you, I love you,” he repeats back to me. “You’re the only one I will ever love.”
Then his lips are on mine in an urgent kiss, one that tells me this man is going to kiss me for the rest of my life if I want him to. I surrender to his warm lips and seeking tongue, and I frantically kiss him back as my tears continue to fall. I taste him, I inhale his leather and vanilla scent, and I relish the feel of his skin against mine. This is my life. This is my man. Landon is The One, and I let my kiss tell him so.
Landon breaks the kiss and immediately cradles my head to his chest. I listen to his heart pound through the fabric of his T-shirt, and a powerful feeling of joy crashes over me. I know I’m home. I’m in the arms of a man who loves me and who has pledged to love me forever.
Landon’s hands are in my hair, down my back, caressing me softly. His lips brush against the top of my head, and I never want to let him go.
“I’m sorry,” Landon murmurs into my hair. “I’m sorry I was such a jerk this morning.”
I immediately step back from him, my fingers holding on to his tattooed forearms tightly. “No, no, this is my fault. I should have listene
d to you. I’m so sorry.”
“Sweetheart, I would have done the same thing,” Landon admits, drawing me back to his chest. “Aubrey pointed that out to me.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Aubrey?”
Landon’s face lights up. “I’m the luckiest man alive to get to see that cute crease in your nose for the rest of my life.”
I begin to laugh, and so does Landon. He laces his fingers through mine and leads me over to the sofa. Landon sits down and draws me into his lap, holding me tightly to him.
“After you left,” Landon says quietly, “I was a mess. I was pissed off at you for not believing me. And then Kayla starts talking about how she’s in love with me, that we are destined to be together. You were right about her all along, Livy.”
I stay silent. Kayla finally revealed herself to Landon.
“I was blindsided. I told her we’re friends, I never saw her that way, and even though we just had a fight, I loved you.”
I blink back fresh tears. Even though I had hurt him, Landon never stopped loving me.
“What happened next?” I ask softly.
“She went crazy. Told me you were boring. Too sweet and too pure. That I’d grow tired of this ‘little domestic routine’ we had. That you’d never make me happy like she could.” Landon pauses for a moment. “Then Kayla said she didn’t spend the past year fucking Ben to lose me now.”
I gasp at her bluntness. “Oh, my God. Poor Ben.”
“She’s a horrible, manipulating person,” Landon admits. “Everything you said about her was true. I told Kayla I wanted nothing to do with her ever again, that she could only aspire to be as good of a woman as you are, and threw her out. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, Livy. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I say honestly, stroking his hair. “But don’t let this one experience change your heart, Landon. Because your empathetic heart is beautiful. It’s part of who you are.”
Landon gently brushes his lips against my temple.
“I was wrong, too, Landon. I was so upset that I wouldn’t let you explain. I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“I understand,” he says softly. “After I threw Kayla out, Aubrey texted me, saying she couldn’t get a hold of you and asked if you were here. I called her and told her about what happened and how pissed I was. Then Aubrey told me I was being an idiot. She asked me how I would react if the situation was reversed. If I found you were wearing nothing but a T-shirt with a guy wearing pajama bottoms. A guy I had insisted had ulterior motives as far as you were concerned. As soon as I pictured it, I knew I’d be pissed. And I’d want to kill the guy.”
I laugh and he does, too.
“But I know that was your biggest fear come to life,” Landon says softly.
“No. My biggest fear,” I say firmly, “is losing you. When I thought I did, I reverted to my past. Not of being cheated on, but of not trusting my judgment. But after talking to Nana, I understand that I do have good judgment.” I pause and draw a heart on his chest. “I know this. I know your heart. I have no doubt about my judgment because it led me to you.”
Landon nuzzles against me. “I was afraid to tell you how I felt. That you’d think it was crazy after such a short period of time. That you might not feel the same. I also had my dad’s warning in my head. That somehow I’d mess this up and hurt you because we’re too young.”
“Landon,” I say, “we’re like puzzle pieces. Sometimes you dump out the jigsaw puzzle and it takes you forever to find matching pieces. But sometimes you get lucky and you find your match right away. It doesn’t mean it can’t fit because of when you found it. The pieces are right. You’re my puzzle piece, Landon. Your heart is my missing piece.”
Landon is quiet for a moment as he takes in my words. Then he draws my face to his and kisses me, his warm lips easing mine open in a gentle, loving kiss.
“I love you,” he whispers against my mouth. “And you’re my puzzle piece.”
We kiss again, and I know this is my future. Landon Holder is my everything, and he will be for the rest of my life.
I break the kiss and stroke the side of his face. “Sorry you couldn’t get a hold of me today. I . . . I think my phone is somewhere here in your living room.”
Realization dawns in his blue eyes. “So that’s why you didn’t answer.”
“I bet the mute button was hit when it dropped on the floor,” I say. “It’s probably under a chair or something. But I would have answered the second I heard from you. Because all I’ve wanted from the second you walked away was for you to come back.”
“When I couldn’t get a hold of you, when I thought you weren’t going to talk to me—I’ve never felt so sick. I thought I’d lost you, Livy,” Landon says softly.
I put my fingertips over his lips. “You’re never going to lose me. And I have something to prove it to you.”
I get up off his lap and go to my tote bag. I retrieve the box with the bracelet and walk over to him.
“I made this for you today,” I say, sitting down next to him.
“Today?” Landon says, surprise echoing in his voice.
“It’s important to me that you have this.”
Landon takes off the lid and removes the tissue. He picks up his bracelet and reads the inscription.
“This was my fortune cookie,” I explain. “Except I changed it to say ‘she.’ I want you to know I love you, and I’ll always find my way to you, Landon.”
Landon’s eyes fill with tears. “I know you mean that. And that makes me the happiest man alive.”
I take the bracelet from him and put it on his wrist. Landon slides his hand underneath my hair and draws me to him for a sweet kiss in return. Then he breaks the kiss and gazes seriously at me.
“Livy, I want forever with you,” Landon says. “I want to marry you someday. I want to have children with you. A life with you here and in Vancouver. I want to support you in your career. I want too much kale in my fridge and your Converse shoes on my floor. But I want that now.”
“What?” I say, confused.
“Move in with me,” Landon says. “I don’t want to wait. I know you’re my puzzle piece. When I was asking about a roommate, I didn’t mean Collins. I meant me.”
My heart is so full of joy, it’s about to burst. “You’re ready for this?”
“I’m so ready,” Landon declares, grinning at me.
“Will we still play TriviaPlayOrPass!?” I ask.
“Yes. I know you’re addicted to trying to improve your record over me,” he teases.
I playfully hit him on the arm. “I’ve beaten you the last few times, Scott921.”
“We’ll see who wins tonight,” Landon says. “But I’ve already won. I have your heart, and that’s all I need.”
I smile happily at him. “Likewise.”
“I want your family to come over here for dinner all the time, too,” Landon says. “They’re great people.”
“They’re more than people,” I say. “They’re your family. And they love you, Landon.”
I see his face light up from my words. “I love them, too.”
GiGi meows loudly and jumps up on the couch. “Do you hear this, GiGi? It’s not just you and me anymore. But it never has been since the day I had that first date with Livy, has it?”
Emotions swell within me. “Did you know that first date?”
Landon smiles sheepishly. “For me to even ask you over here meant you were different. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with you after that.”
“Me neither,” I admit.
Landon smiles at me. “So we’re going to be busy this week. As soon as my season wraps up, you’re moving in.”
I know I’m beaming from his words.
“Yes.” I nod excitedly.
“And we’re looking for your phone immediately,” Landon says. “Because I never want to go through that again, of not being able to talk to you. But first I’m going to make love to you,” Landon declares, easing me back onto the sofa as his eyes flicker sexily at me. “I love you, Kale Chip.”
I grin up at him. “I love you too, my precious Zinger,” I say.
And as Landon lowers his mouth to mine, I know I’m home.
Forever.
With my puzzle piece.
Epilogue
The following September
Morning View Elementary School After-Care Program
“Finally, we get to work together with the kids,” I say, squeezing Landon’s hand in mine. “I’ve missed that.”
Landon doesn’t say anything as he parks his Range Rover in a spot in the school parking lot. School started the first week of September, but Landon has missed the past two Wednesdays with advertising shoots. And he leaves for training camp in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday so I’m glad he’ll be able to see the kids once before the season ramps up.
“Landon?” I say, noticing he seems distant. “You okay?”
Landon turns toward me. “Yeah. Just thinking. This is where we started, you know,” he says, lifting my hand and pressing it to his lips. “With a Presidents’ Day art project.”
I smile. “The day that changed everything.”
Gratitude sweeps over me when I think of how my life has changed since that snowy February day. I found The One. Landon and I overcame our fears to be together. I moved into his condo in April and have been there ever since. We are happy, in love, and our future is bright. Our lives have changed for the better now that we found each other.
So much has changed around us, too. When the Buffaloes season ended, Ben abruptly quit the team and moved back to Canada. Landon keeps in touch with him, and Ben bought a small place in the woods, near a lake, and spends his time fishing. Ben also met a woman—a Canadian park warden, as a matter of fact—and things are getting serious between them. Landon says he’s never seen him happier, and that makes me happy. Ben gave up the dream—to be an NHL player—and lived his own dream. I admire him for that.
