Chapter 42
Daphne
We were sitting on the small couch in my mother’s living room, curled up under a thick blanket as the snow continued to fall outside. The heater did its best to keep us warm, but the real source of warmth was Jake, with his arm firmly wrapped around my shoulders and his head resting lightly on mine.
We had spent the last few hours simply talking. Laughing. Remembering. We felt like two teenagers in love, discovering the world together for the first time—only now with the maturity and scars life had left us.
In a moment of silence, I turned my face to look at him. The soft light from the lamp illuminated his features in a warm, gentle way, highlighting his bright eyes and the smile that hadn’t left his face since he arrived.
“Jake,” I said, breaking the silence, my vo
