#106: Fallen: Fire and Redemption - Home
***Julian Kauer***
I was fucking up.
Failing Violet.
Failing myself.
I was the one who asked her to come with me. I told her we’d figure it out together, that I’d go to hell and back with her if that’s what it took. And yet here I was, holding back, shutting her out, clinging to old fears like they were the only things keeping me alive. I was so convinced that something was going to go wrong that I wasn’t seeing what was right in front of me.
The truth was, I was the problem.
Not the restaurant. Not the city. Me.
I sat up, rubbing a hand over my face. The place was almost ready. In a few days, we’d open the doors. But if I didn’t pull my head out of my ass soon, none of it would mean a damn thing. I glanced toward the back, where Violet was still curled up on the old couch, wrapped in the blanket she insisted on bringing from the hotel because “the mattress feels like a slab of cement.” She was here. She’d been here, through every shitty night, every doubt, every time I let my paranoia get in the way.
I couldn’t keep doing this.
I grabbed my jacket and slipped out quietly, letting the cold morning air slap me awake as I stepped outside. The streets were mostly empty, except for the occasional car and the scent of fresh bread wafting from the bakery down the block. My first instinct was to head to the café, to ask the woman about the apartment she had mentioned.
But then I remembered what she said.
"Nothing fancy and pretty"
She deserved a home.
She’d never been the type to care about material things. But that was exactly why I wanted something better. Not just a roof over our heads, not just another temporary fix.
Something real.
And then I saw it.
It was the house.
It wasn’t huge, but it was sleek, modern. The kind of place that looked like us. Big windows, clean lines, dark colors. Black, gray, hints of deep blue. Nothing cheesy, nothing overdone. Just solid.
And for the first time in a long time, I could see it.
I could see her there.
Could see us there.
And the part that scared me the most?
I could see something more.
Something that wasn’t just a fresh start or a way to escape the past.
Something that looked a hell of a lot like a future.
A home. Maybe even a family.
The thought sent a sharp jolt of panic through me, but instead of running from it, I did what needed to be done. I walked inside and signed the damn papers. No second-guessing. No, thinking about the money we were sinking into it. Just knowing, deep in my gut, that this was right.
That this was ours.
...
By the time I got back to the restaurant, the first thing I heard was a loud thud, followed by a string of curses.
I frowned, stepping inside.
And then I saw he, standing on a chair, gripping a spatula like a weapon, eyes locked onto something in the corner of the wall.
“What the hell are you doing?”
She barely spared me a glance before refocusing on whatever the hell had her so worked up.
“Trying to kill this fucker before it kills me.” A bug.
I blinked. Then I laughed. Hard.
“You’re really struggling with one little—”
She shot me a murderous look, waving the spatula in my direction like she was considering using it on me instead.
“Don’t even start. This thing is fast. It’s evil.”
Still grinning, I tossed my jacket onto the counter and leaned against it.
“We probably need to get the place exterminated.”
“No shit, Why are you in such a good mood?”
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I stepped closer, letting the shift in the air settle between us. Letting her feel it before I said anything.
She lifted her chin slightly, stubborn as always, but didn’t move when I reached for her.
And then, without another word, I kissed her.
It was quick. But not soft.
Not after last night.
She pulled back, brows furrowed in surprise. “What was that?”
I ran my thumb along her bottom lip, like maybe I could keep the moment from slipping away too soon.
“An apology.”
Her lips parted slightly, her breath warm against my skin. “For what?”
I exhaled. “For being an idiot. For letting fear fuck with my head.”
She didn’t say anything, just searched my face, waiting for me to go on.
So I did.
“For dragging you into this and then acting like it’s all gonna collapse any second. For not trusting that we’re gonna be okay.”
She stared at me for a long second, then huffed out a quiet laugh.
“Okay, but why are you acting like some overly emotional teenage girl right now?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re so goddamn annoying.”
“And you’re being sensitive.”
I pulled her closer, fingers curling around her waist, and felt the way she tensed slightly, just for a second, before relaxing against me.
“I’m being honest.”
She bit her lip, her expression shifting. “Fine. So, what’s with the sudden honesty?”
I hesitated.
Then, because there was no point in dragging it out, I just told her.
“I found us a place.”
She frowned. “A place?”
“A house, Violet. Our house.”
The room went quiet.
I watched as the realization hit her, saw the flicker of emotions cross her face—first surprise, then skepticism, then something else. Something softer.
“You’re serious?”
I cupped her face between my hands. “I’m serious.”
She swallowed hard. “And what about our savings?”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“And if it doesn’t work out?”
I ran my thumb along her cheek. “It will.”
She blinked rapidly, like she was trying to process it all, then let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking her head.
“So, let me get this straight. The guy who refuses to invest in anything just signed a lease on a house without even asking me?”
“That’s exactly what happened.”
She laughed again, the sound softer this time, shaking her head like I was a lost cause.
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
I smirked, tightening my hold on her. “And you’re stuck with me.”
She rolled her eyes, but didn’t pull away.
Because the truth was, we both knew.
This wasn’t just a new city or a new business or some half-formed plan to outrun the past.
This was home.
Ours.