Yours, For Good (Cozy Latine Billionaires #4)

45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Javier

Only a month after betting everything I had on Nora's trip to Lock Willow, our relationship had settled .

After a few more promises to each other, we had a meal with Lizzie before coming back to New York. She brought all her things to my place, promising she'd find a place of her own soon. She seemed to believe she'd rent somewhere and, if she really wanted to have her own place, I wouldn't fight her. Even so, you wouldn't catch me encouraging her to leave again. In my mind, we were together. She was my partner in the same way Lina was Gabe's, or Eva was Max's wife. With time, we'd have as much history as Jake and Vi. I'd rather create those memories with Nora sleeping beside me every night.

Our days had their own rhythm, as well. She worked all over the place— sometimes in her office, sometimes in mine. Sometimes, she joined me at the shared space for my team. Sometimes, she went for coffee and worked from there. Whether we occupied the same space or not during office hours, our evenings were for us both.

So far, we mostly had dinner at home but went out randomly. Afterwards, she read a book on the couch while I wrote in my journal, and then I joined her with my own novel. A few times, we'd gone to the community pool I liked and we practiced her water skills.

Tonight, we went for dinner at my brother's home. She held my hand tight, nervous about their reaction to our relationship, even if I reassured her it would be fine. That they would be too rigidly polite to say anything. I was right. The only comment was when said goodbye, and Julia's stern face broke to reveal a stray thought.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can call you Auntie Nora."

Nora laughed. "I never asked you to."

I arched an eyebrow. "For the record, I'm still trying to get you to call me Javier and drop the title altogether."

"I cannot do that either."

"I'm sure we'll have years to figure it out." Nora winked at me and soon we walked on the streets of the Upper East Side toward home.

An early fall evening guided our path; leaves were still a deep green on the old trees, and the weather predicted at least one more heat wave in the weeks to come. The cooler evening was a great respite, the breeze a balmy embrace as we strolled, hand in hand, with no rush.

"Lina and them added me to the group chat today," Nora said. "You know what it's called?"

"No idea."

" Fat, Fab, and really Fine ." She laughed, and I copied her.

"That's better than the group name we have."

"Eva is inviting us out for a girls' weekend— she said the boutique hotel she and Max are opening on Laguna Island will need a few practice runs and we can help with the soft opening that way."

"What I'm hearing is I'm not invited." I gave her a sideways glance.

Her grin was wide. "Eva said you might say that. She said you can go to the lake house without us for a change. Or you can poke Max and he'll invite you to stay with him at their place so you mope together missing us."

I chuckled. "I appreciate the offer. A weekend with my friends sounds great."

"And what about the week-trip Sally wants us to do? Will we survive that?"

We passed a tiny plaza between two properties, and I stopped to face her at its gates.

I lifted a hand to her face. "We will. Of course we will. I will just—"

"Miss me desperately."

I nodded, giving her a soft smile. She laughed.

"I will miss you too." She locked her fingers at the small of my back. "For the first time in my life, I realize how lucky I am to have someone to love and miss."

"It feels good. It's… shared happiness."

She kissed me. "I plan to be deliriously happy with you, Javier. We'll squeeze joy out of life together— for as long as we can."

I swayed with her on the street, a whisper of a dance there where other people might see. Not caring at all that we looked foolishly in love. Ecstatic anyone would know from just one look at us.

"That's the thing about romantic love," I said. "I've been thinking about it— a book did offer inspiration, but— it's the lack of friendship that ends love. Good love always includes friendship, and we have that in spades."

"Best friends can be lovers." Her smile still curved her lips when she kissed me. "I like that."

She never got a place of her own. She said why bother, when she found a home with me instead.