Five Years Gone, She Walked Back In, So I Walked Out novel · Chapter 20 of 24

Chapter 20: Not Porch Only

The house on the hill looked smaller than I remembered.

The porch light was on. Someone had mowed the lawn.

Lorna had moved out on Tuesday, to a room over the hardware store, and the guest room stood empty with the bed stripped.

Poppy fell asleep in the truck on the way, with her rabbit under her chin.

Sawyer carried her up the stairs and put her in her own bed, and he stood in her doorway longer than he needed to.

I went to our bedroom.

It was exactly as I had left it, except for the drawer.

The bottom drawer of the nightstand was pulled open, and the wedding photograph stood on top of the dresser, face up.

I picked it up.

We were twenty-three and twenty-seven, squinting in the sun on the church steps. I was laughing at something he had said out of the side of his mouth.

I had forgotten I looked that happy.

Behind me the floor creaked.

"I put it back," Sawyer said from the door. "Tuesday. I didn't know if you'd want it there."

"I want it there."

I set it on the nightstand where it had always been.

When I turned around he was still in the doorway, with his hand gripping the frame.

"I can take the guest room," he said. "Whatever you need."

"I don't need a guest room."

"Stevie."

"Come in, Sawyer."

"The rule..."

"There isn't a rule. There's a porch, and we're not on it."

He came in.

He stopped an arm's length away, and I closed the gap myself.

I put both hands flat on his chest, over the buttons.

I could feel his heart going fast.

"Tell me again how long you've wanted this," I said.

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