Page 39 of Call You Mine
“Thatweare capable. We have to convince everyone we’re in this together, right?”
A moment of silence passes, that steady gaze watching me with such care, and my throat grows thick at the thought of not having to do this all alone—even if it is just temporary.
When I realize I haven’t said anything, I nod my head, just as Anderson clears his throat, opting to change the subject. “When do you want to make it official?” he asks.
I exhale, letting those thoughts go as quickly as they came. “As soon as possible,” I answer. The thought thatthisis the least romantic way to be proposed to runs through my head, and I want to slap myself across the face for even having it. “The sooner we get our marriage certificate to Patricia, the sooner the adoption can be on its way to being approved, and CPS can leave us alone.” I look over my shoulder at myclosed bedroom door, where Georgie is probably playing on my iPad under the covers rather than going to sleep as she should be.
The thought has me smiling as I remind myself that I will do anything to make sure Georgie stays with me.
It’s me and her.
That’s what matters.
“And the sooner we can get divorced.” I don’t know how I’ll ever repay Anderson for this—putting his life on hold to help hold mine together. The least I can do is make sure the process goes as quickly as possible, so he can move on and find the person he can actually settle down with.
My stomach twists at the thought, but I ignore it.
When I look back at Anderson, there’s a flash of disappointment—his eyes clouding, his mouth thinning—but it’s gone so fast I think I imagined it. He rubs his hands up and down the fabric of his jeans, letting our insane plan sink in, and I pray to the gods I don’t believe in that he’s not trying to come up with a way to tell me he’s changed his mind.
“Think you can handle this?” I ask, feeling the tingle in my palms, the irritation on my skin, the need to count the tiles on my kitchen floor. He raises a brow, so I gesture between us. “Marrying me? Sticking with me until CPS leaves us alone?”
A moment beats, and my thoughts begin to swirl, convincing me that he’s about to say fuck this and leave.
But then he stands to his full height, holding my eyes hostage as he does.
The smell of his spicy scent overwhelms me until it’s all I can focus on, my thoughts blurring until they’re erased altogether—and I barely register the words he whispers just inches from my lips. “I can handle anything you need me to, love.”
CHAPTER 12
ANDERSON
“What doyou mean you’re getting married?”
I pull up to a red light, letting my head fall back against the headrest of my car seat. “I don’t know how else to say that,” I tell my brother over the speaker phone of my car. “I’d argue it’s pretty self-explanatory.”
“Did you even tell us you had a girlfriend?” Alex asks, but before I can answer, there’s some shuffling. It sounds like someone is grabbing the phone from him,
“Didn’t you tell Auggie to refill Mom’s pain med prescription? Why is he calling me asking if I can go pick it up?” Alex’s twin interrupts, and the subject immediately changes—something I’m fairly used to. The two begin going back and forth, more with each other than with me, about whose responsibility it is to pick up the medication, and I want to bang my head against the glass of my windshield.
I blow out a long breath. “I already told Auggie that it’shisresponsibility. Just make sure you tell him the same.”
“Who’s the girl?” Alex asks, coming back to what I initially called him about, and I’m actually surprised he circled back. I didn’t know he was with Archie, but it savesme from one of the other phone calls I had planned to make today.
“Her name is Ava,” I answer as the light turns green. I need the practice of talking about her—aboutmarryingher—without blushing or letting my voice get all high. Taking a breath, I recite the story that we agreed on telling our friends and family. “We’ve been seeing each other for a while now, and even though it’s a little quicker than we planned, we decided to get married since she needs some help with her sister’s adop?—”
“Hey, do you think you can stop by Mom’s today? She can’t figure out how to set up the new WiFi,” Archie interrupts. He must have grabbed the phone from Alex.
“What? No, I’m not driving two hours to push a damn button on a router.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to hold on to my patience. “Auggie can do it.”
I’m sure he’s the reason my mom is getting new WiFi to begin with, but I keep that thought to myself.
“He says he doesn't know how,” Archie counters, “and I thought you were off today.”
My chest tightens, and I can’t help the annoyance that filters through my words. “I’m not using my day off to drive two hours to do something that he is perfectly capable of doing. He needs to learn to do this type of shit on his own.”
“Or, maybesomeoneneeds to teach him,” Archie mutters into the phone before more shuffling ensues.
“Good thing he has you and Al so close by,” I yell into my speaker phone, but it’s Alex now who answers.
