Thank you for reading!
Major had hurried through the zombie hunting tonight, eager to have Liv back in his arms, and in his bed. Even the limited amount of action available to them seemed precious tonight, after how afraid he had been of her losing herself entirely over the weekend in jail.
He came home to find her on the couch watching a cooking show with Ravi and Peyton, and she immediately hopped up and threw herself into his arms, their kiss long and reassuring. There was nothing else quite like kissing Liv—intoxicating, yes, but soothing and comforting and affirming, like being home and safe. Major held her tight, never wanting to let her go again.
They spent a few more minutes with Ravi and Peyton, but neither of them was in the mood for more than just the two of them, and it was a race to see who would get into their pjs and into the bathroom to brush their teeth first. Liv won, closing the door in Major's face with a giggle that sounded so much like old times he almost forgot the new normal.
At least … until he came back into the bedroom, teeth brushed, breath fresh, wanting to tell Liv all about the kids' basketball tournament this weekend as they settled into bed together, only to find Liv on her knees in his closet, fumbling with the combination of his safe. He breathed a mental sigh of relief that he'd had the foresight to move everything to his car, at least temporarily.
He watched her punching in wrong combinations for a moment, sighing openly with exasperation. He'd thought this was done. He'd hoped this was done. "What are you doing, Liv?"
She looked distressed, as though she knew what she was doing was wrong, and crazy, and hurtful, and couldn't help it. Maybe that was true, but somehow it was hard to believe that she could know all that and still not stop. "There's something in there that's gonna break my heart," she whispered. "I can feel it."
Major crossed the room, kneeling down next to her. "I thought this brain was wearing off."
"I was starving when I got out of jail, and stalker brain was all we had on hand."
He studied her, seeing in her face the Liv he fell in love with, the Liv he still loved, the new Liv he was trying so hard to learn to understand, and he smiled, reaching up a finger to tap at her temple. "I know you're in there. Somewhere. How do we fix this?"
Liv looked distressed, and a little ashamed. He didn't want to make her unhappy, but he couldn't live with this. Not with this level of distrust. Some things had to be constant, or how could you have a real relationship?
For a moment, he thought she would come out on top, but then she turned to him, her eyes pleading, and said, "You open the safe."
"You promised you'd fight it."
"I tried!" she protested. "And I lost. I'm begging you. Open the safe."
He didn't want to. He didn't want this brain to win; he wanted her to win, to wrestle down the insecurities that weren't really hers, but it was clear that, at least tonight, she didn't have it in her. Maybe her resistance was low because of the long exhausting weekend. Maybe the brains had hit her system harder because it had been such a long time between meals. Maybe this one time he had to give her the benefit of the doubt. Major sighed, and leaned forward, punching in the code. When the electronic lock turned blue, he opened the door of the safe and sat back, letting her see the single small box that sat in the middle of it, looking so innocent and carrying so much inside it.
The distress and anguish in Liv's face eased and softened and turned to wonder mixed with a little guilt as she picked up the box and opened it. The ring that sparkled inside it was intimately familiar to both of them, and Major remembered with a pang of grief and loss the way it had felt to slide that ring on her finger, the pulse-pounding excitement of that moment when their future together was secured—or so he had thought.
"My engagement ring," she said softly, looking up at him. "I thought for sure you'd sold that when I gave it back to you."
He held her gaze with his, remembering despite everything that had come between that dizzying, heart-stopping moment when she'd said yes and now that he still loved her, more than he could ever imagine loving anyone else, and that it was all worth it if there was a chance they could be together again. "I couldn't stand the idea of anyone else ever wearing it. Besides, I never gave up hope that you'd want it back."
Liv's eyes filled with tears, and she reached for him, holding him close, nestling her head against his shoulder. It was right, it was Liv … but it was different and a little bit wrong, too, and Major couldn't quite let that go, even as he lifted her and carried her to bed.