Jonah (Chicago Blaze 7)

I am okay. Or at least, I will be. What choice do I have? I’ve got to move forward, and hope the pain fades sooner rather than later.

“Hey Jonah,” Anton calls across the ice.

I look in his direction, trying to figure out what he wants. He’s gesturing at the stands and when I skate over there to see what he’s pointing at, I can’t believe my eyes.

Rey is sitting in the front row. She stands as I approach, and I point down to the end of the rink where there’s a gate I can go through.

I don’t have guards for my skate blades, so I bend down and unlace them as fast as my fingers will move.

“You look beautiful,” I tell Rey, looking up at her.

Her hair is dark again, like it was that first time I met her in Logan’s office, and it’s swept back into one of her smooth chignons. She’s wearing jeans, a red sweater, tall black boots and a gray wool jacket.

“Thanks,” she says, grinning. “God, it’s good to see you, Jonah.”

“You too. Been about a year, hasn’t it?”

I get my skates off and stand up as she says, “It sure feels like it.”

She jumps into my arms and I embrace her as hard as I can while covered in practice gear.

“Sorry, I’m sweaty,” I say.

“I don’t care.”

I kiss the top of her head and she looks up at me, her mahogany eyes bright.

“Tell me you’re staying for at least one night,” I say softly.

“I was actually thinking I’d stay a lot longer.”

I don’t breathe as her words sink in, finally managing to ask, “Are you fucking serious, Rey?”

She nods. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but I figured it was best to wait until it was finalized. I’m transferring to the Chicago office to take a new job heading up a sex crimes task force. No more undercover work. It’s actually a promotion.”

My heart takes flight as I pull her into my arms and lift her off her feet. She puts her palms on my face and kisses me, and I feel like a little bitch as hot tears prick my eyes.

“I missed you so much,” she says, resting her forehead against mine.

She sniffles and I realize she’s crying, too. But she breaks into a huge grin when she looks over and sees my entire team standing at the edge of the rink watching us. From just a few feet away, they’re eavesdropping on every detail of our conversation, and I don’t even care.

Actually, I kind of love them for it.

“She’s staying!” I tell them, and the guys erupt into cheers.

Rey kisses me again and asks, “Are you going to put me down now?”

“No. I don’t think I’m ever gonna do that, actually.”

She laughs as I lower her feet back to the ground and the guys return to practice, the mood light.

“What do I tell people?” I ask her in a low tone. “About your job, I mean.”

“I’m not working undercover anymore, so you can tell them I’m an FBI agent. My bosses already know it would get back to Shields. I’ll have to be extra careful for a while.”

I frown, concerned. “Are you in danger?”

“I don’t think so. Don’t worry, okay? I know how to be careful and the bureau is watching out for me, too.”

“Guess I shouldn’t ask for details about what that means?” I quirk a brow at her.

“You can ask, but I won’t answer.” She shrugs and smiles.

“This is for sure, right? I mean, no one can change their mind or anything?”

“It’s for sure. My transfer order was expedited. Apparently my bosses think I did a pretty good job on my last assignment and deserved to move up.”

“You kicked ass, babe.”

She reaches up to touch my cheek. “It’s time for someone else to do that job, because I want…Jonah, I want to really try with you. With us. I want to have a normal relationship. I’ve never had that before. It was a big leap of faith for me to come back here, because I don’t know if you’re as serious about us as I am.”

I put my hands on her waist and say, “Yeah, you do, babe. You know.”

“It’s hard for me to believe,” she admits.

“I get that. But I want this, too. I’ve only loved two women in my life, and until you showed up here, I thought I’d lost them both. I’m made to be faithful, Rey. To love one woman with everything I’ve got. So I’m in. All in, okay?”

She smiles and nods, tears falling onto her cheeks.

“I usually don’t cry,” she says, wiping her cheeks. “Between this time and last time we saw each other, you must think I’m downright weepy. But I just need to say I’m still a badass.”

“The baddest ass there ever was.”

“I’m moving back in with Kai for now,” she says. “I may get my own place at some point, but for now, he wants me there and I love being his roommate.”