My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 228

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Chapter 228

“Cooking shows. At least we can judge their technique.”

“Perfect.” He pulled out his phone, queuing something up. “And food? Pizza? Chinese? Whatever sounds good?”

“Pizza. Extra cheese. The kind Mama says is nutritionally questionable.“”

“The best kind.” He ordered while I settled against him, letting his solid presence ground me.

The guilt was still there. The fear about the Preservation Front. The anger at Courtney. All of it still existed.

But for tonight–for these few hours–I was going to let it exist without carrying it. Was going to let Connor hold me and watch stupid cooking shows and eat pizza that was probably terrible for us.

Was going to be eighteen. Be Grace. Be just a girl with her mate instead of a symbol or a target.

“Connor?” I said quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. For this. For knowing what I needed before I did.”

“That’s what mates do. Know each other. Take care of each other. Carry things together.” He pulled me closer. “Grace, you don’t have to be strong all the time. You don’t have to process everything perfectly. You’re allowed to fall apart and let me hold the pieces for a while,”

“I’m falling apart.”

“I know. I’ve got you. All your pieces. I’m not letting go.”

We stayed like that—Grace falling apart, Connor holding her together–while terrible cooking show contestants made questionable decisions about soufflés.

Outside my room, the world continued. Uncle Cas questioned Courtney. Daddy coordinated protection protocols. The Preservation Front planned their next move. One week ticked closer to zero.

But inside my room, with Connor’s arms around me and pizza on the way and stupid TV playing–I was just Grace.

Just a girl who was scared and guilty and angry and choosing to let her mate help carry it.

Just a girl who was tired of being a symbol and needed a few hours to be human.

Just a girl who was falling apart and being held together by someone who’d chosen her despite everything.

It wasn’t a solution. Wasn’t going to stop the Preservation Front or undo the dead wolf or make Courtney’s betrayal hurt less.

But it was enough. For tonight. For these few hours.

It was exactly enough.

“Connor?” I said again.

“Yeah?”

“I love you” First time I’d said it. First time the words had felt right.

He went very still. “Grace”

“I love you. For taking the knife. For confronting Courtney. For knowing I needed this tonight. For being brave when I can’t be For for choosing me. Every day. Even when it’s complicated.”

Chacker

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“I love you too.” His voice was rough. Emotional. “Grace, I love you so much. Have loved you since our conversation in the garden when you told me you wanted to be yourself instead of what people expected. Maybe before that. Maybe since the moment I recognized the mate bond and my wolf started screaming that you were OURS.”

“We’re a mess.”

“We’re perfect. A perfectly complicated mess. He kissed me properly this time. Soft and deep and full of everything we hadn’t said yet. “Grace, I love you. Dead wolves and extremists and Courtney and all of it – I still love you. Still choose you. Still think you’re worth every complicated thing.”

“I love you too. Even though you made me wait nineteen hours.”

“I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for those nineteen hours.”

“That’s a long time.”

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