Page 79 of Finding Us
“I could say I went home with a stranger. That puts you in the clear.”
I growl at her answer, because even hypothetically, that pisses me off. “Not happening, Red. We are in this together. There’s no way I’m letting you face this on your own.”
“That’s sweet.”
“I’m glad you’re finally seeing the real me.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, stud-muffin.”
“Again, with the compliments. I could get used to this nicer version of you.”
“I’m always nice,” she says, playfully elbowing me.
I lean down and place my lips on her hair. “You have your moments.”
“Are we going to tell Blake too?”
“I think we should hold off on that for now. He’s young and fragile, I want to be sure it’s going to work before we say something to him.”
She dips her face, staring down at her feet. “If you’re already having doubts, maybe we should wait and see how things go before we tell Connor too.”
“Hey,” I say, pulling her into my arms. “I’m not having doubts. I want this. You still want to be with me right?”
“Yes.”
“Blake adores you, and I know he’d be thrilled with the news, but just having you in our lives more, is enough for now. It would break his heart if it didn’t work out. I’m not implying it won’t,” I quickly add, “but this relationship thing is new to us both. Trust me when I say I’m all in, but let’s just see how things pan out before we shout it from the rooftops.”
“From the rooftops,” she says, grinning.
“Yes.”
“I look forward to seeing that.”
I chuckle, because I was figuratively speaking, but if seeing me scream it from the top of our apartment complex, when the time’s right is what she wants, then she’ll get it.
Her hand is shaking in mine by the time we reach her apartment. “Do you want to head back to my place and let me handle this?” I ask.
“No, like you said, we’re in this together, I’m just worried about hurting him. What if he gets violent with you?”
“Then I’ll deal with it.”
“Mason,” she says, turning to face me. “He’s my brother, and I love him. Please don’t hurt him.”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m against violence in any form, but if he feels the need to lash out, then I’ll cop it on the chin like a man.”
“He better not hit you,” she grumbles.
“Babe, it’s nothing I can’t handle or probably deserve.”
“You didn’t even know who I was the first time we had sex.”
“But I did the second, third and fourth time.”
I hear her intake a sharp breath as she fishes in her tiny bag for her keys. Once she has them in her hand, she looks up at me. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
The last thing I want is to lose my best friend over this, but if it comes down to a choice, I’m choosing her. This is the first time in my life that I’ve ever contemplated exploring a relationship with someone. From the moment I met her, I knew she was different, and the more I’ve gotten to know her, the more captivated I’ve become. The fact that she loves and adores my son is just an added bonus. The key component here isherand the way she makes me feel. It may be foreign, but I like it.
