It Had To Be Us

Copyright IT HAD TO BE US Copyright © 2023 by Katherine Jay All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or used in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without written permission from the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover image by Madison Maltby Photography Cover design by © Designed With Grace Original concept by © Emily Wittig Designs Editing by Happily Editing Anns Contents Author's Note Dedication Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Epilogue One Epilogue Two Also By Katherine Jay Truly Madly Deeply Mine Sneak Peek Acknowledgments About Author Author's Note This book contains subject matter that some people may find triggering. A list of the main potential triggers can be found on Katherine's website: http://www.katherinejayauthor.com Please note, triggers are not listed here to avoid spoilers for the book. CLICK ON IMAGE TO LISTEN Prologue Logan Grabbing my clothes, I quietly sneak out of the room and blindly walk down the hall. Light from the parking lot filters through the slightly drawn curtains, giving me just enough brightness to make it through the room unscathed. After throwing everything on the sofa, I quickly get dressed and tiptoe to the door, patting down my pockets for all my belongings. Having to come back here for my phone or wallet would be less than ideal. The floor creaks, freezing me in my tracks, but when I don’t hear movement from the bedroom, I sigh in relief. Am I an asshole? Yes. But trust me when I say, she wasn’t under any illusions that it was more than a quick release. Reaching for the handle, I’m almost free when the room becomes bathed in light and a little voice startles me. “Doing the walk of shame?” “Jesus. Fuck!” My hand flies to my chest as I try to control my breathing before turning around. I do not need this right now. Sitting at the kitchen counter near the light switch is a little brunette with black-framed glasses, a mug in her hands, and a bored expression on her face. Where the fuck did she come from? “Were you just sitting there in the dark?” “I was.” What? “Why?” She lifts her shoulder in a half shrug, as if she can’t even be bothered with a full one, and sighs. “It comforts me.” “O…kay.” That’s weird. I think. I mean, I’ve never tried sitting in the dark for comfort. But now’s not the time to question it. “I’m…ah…just gonna head off.” I pull open the door and scan the halls, but both directions look exactly the same. I have no idea where the fuck I am. “Um…so…” “It’s left.” Fuck! I was definitely going to head right. I mumble a “thanks” and am about to leave when she stops me again. “Do you need a ride?” she asks, shocking the hell out of me. My brows furrow as I turn back to look at her, not quite convinced she’s being serious. She shrugs again as she takes a sip of her drink, clearly unfazed either way. I hesitate for a moment before I find “Sure” rolling off my tongue. “That’d be great. Thanks.” She doesn’t respond but slides off the stool, letting me know she heard me. Just when I think she’s heading my way, her eyes widen as they flash to her legs, and she freezes. “Ahh, can you face the door for a second?” The slight panic in her voice has me wanting to look away about as much as I want a root canal, but I do it anyway because I’m decent like that…sometimes. I hear her dash past me and peek over my shoulder without thinking, just catching her bare legs disappear around the corner. Damn, if only I got a better look at that. What was I saying about being decent? Well, sometimes I’m not. I don’t have to wait long before she pops back out wearing leggings and an oversized sweater, making her look even smaller. Like I could easily tuck her under my arm. Huh, maybe I can? Walking past me, she heads straight out the door without another word, while I’m still lost in thought as I size her up against me. It takes me a second to snap out of it before I quickly shut the door and jog after her, reaching her in a few strides. I guess I can suss out the height thing in the elevator. Was there an elevator? We’re not walking long before we push out the front door—that answers my question—and the cold hits us immediately, making the tiny thing next to me shiver. Shit, it’s four in the fucking morning. Jesus! Why did I say yes to this poor girl? “Um, sorry. You don’t have to take me. I can find my way.” She stops suddenly and turns around with her eyebrows hovering in her hairline. “You waited until now to say that?” I grimace. “It took me a minute to think things through.” She blows out a breath and shakes her head. “It’s fine. I honestly don’t mind. Just get in the car and tell me where I’m going.” She points to an older model Volkswagen Jetta and then moves to the driver’s door to get in. Guess that’s it