Chapter 21: Growing Closer

It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to let someone in. It was still scary, don't get me wrong, but with Isaiah, it felt different. He was patient with me. He didn't push when I needed space, but he didn't run away either. He was steady. And I needed that more than I realized.

As the weeks went by, we fell into this rhythm. It wasn't always perfect, but it was ours. Isaiah didn't judge me when I had moments of doubt. He didn't call me weak for struggling with my past. He just let me be.

There were days when I found myself thinking about everything that had happened—the people I'd lost, the people who'd left me. But every time that happened, I'd think of Isaiah. He was different. He was the kind of person who stayed, even when everything seemed uncertain. And maybe that was why I could trust him with things I didn't trust anyone else with.

I remember one night, not too long ago, we were hanging out at my house. It was late, the kind of night where the world outside felt distant, almost unreal. The house was quiet, save for the hum of the refrigerator and the soft sound of the TV in the background.

I'd been leaning against him, his arm wrapped around my shoulder, just like we always did. It felt like home.

"You ever think about the future?" Isaiah asked suddenly, his voice low, like he was testing the waters.

I looked at him, my heart skipping a beat. "Yeah," I said slowly. "Sometimes. But I don't really know what to expect."

He smiled, the warmth of his expression reaching his eyes. "I get that. But I don't really care about the future. All I care about is right now. And right now, this is exactly where I want to be."

I didn't know what to say to that, because I felt it too. The uncertainty of the future was still there, looming in the back of my mind. But for the first time, it didn't feel as scary. Because I had Isaiah, and I knew he wasn't going anywhere.

And that's all I really needed.