180. Chapter 180

After a day like today?

Nothing happened. Not anything out of the ordinary in her line of work.

Nothing happened. It just was a positively unbearable day.

A few months ago, she would have gone to the bar and slammed down shots until she couldn’t drive her Triumph home; slammed down shots until she could barely see straight; slam down shots until when the cab finally took her home, her punches to her heavy bag would be way off base and her wrists would strain from the force and her knuckles would bleed, just a bit, just a bit, from the drunken wrapping job she’d do before tearing into the bag, before tearing into herself.

But now?

Now, Maggie goes home to the home that isn’t quite her home – not yet – and Maggie collapses on the couch, because it might be her girlfriend’s apartment, but here, she’s safe, and here, she’s loved, and here, she’s… taken care of.

Because Alex kneels in front of her and Alex smooths her hair out of her face and Alex presses soft kisses everywhere, everywhere, everywhere.

And Maggie doesn’t cry – not yet, not yet – but her body goes slack and her breath goes ragged with weariness, with exhaustion, with need, so Alex picks her up and carries her to her bed – their bed – and strips off her clothes and tucks her in and shucks off her own clothes and draws her body close, draws her body warm, draws her body safe.

It’s not sexual, this cuddling, this night. It’s not sexual, and it’s not hot, and it’s not desire.

This night, this cuddling, is warmth, and it’s comfort, and it’s pure, pure love. This cuddling, this night, is I’ve got you and I love you and I promise it’s not always going to feel like this and I’ll hold you until it passes, and I’ll keep holding you even after it passes, because I’m never, ever going to stop loving you.

And, finally, in Alex’s arms, Maggie knows she’s home.