Page 118 of Studs Up
The quiet homeyness of the moment overwhelmed me. This was what life with Nolan would be like, loved, adored, and cherished.
Nolan took our plates outside, and I followed with the coffee. The fire roared, and the warmth was welcome in the crisp fall air. There might actually be a frost tonight.
We ate without talking. The fire crackled, and somewhere, a bird sang. Beyond the patio, a lawn stretched to a tree line, and in the distance, beyond the foothills, the cascades rose up into the sky.
This was a little slice of heaven. He had seen inside me, decoded my secrets, and became the provider of all my dreams.
“This is beautiful,” I said.
He looked at me when he said, “It is beautiful.”
“Don’t be cheesy,” I flushed.
“Is it working?” He leaned over.
“No,” I muttered.
“Liar,” he whispered in my ear, and when I turned for a rebuttal, he kissed me instead.
I smiled and shivered.
We ate, and when we were done, we set the plates down, and he pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around me so we could watch the fire and finish our coffee.
“You’ve never talked about your family,” he said. I paused with my coffee halfway to my lips. No, I didn’t talk about my family. But if there was anyone I could, it was Nolan. He shared so much of himself with me that I didn’t want to hold back on him anymore.
“They, uh, didn’t like my choices.”
It was in that moment I knew I was never going to introduce Nolan to my family if I ever got on speaking terms with them again. His intense glower both warmed me and scared me. His protectiveness of my wellbeing made the love overflow. But I was pretty sure if he was ever in the vicinity of them, he wouldn’t be able to contain himself.
“I don’t understand how people think this is a choice,” he muttered.
“An age old question,” I said.
“Do you talk to them?”
I shook my head. “Not since they kicked me out when I was seventeen.”
His body jerked, and he nearly dropped his coffee.
“Seventeen? You’ve been on your own this whole time?”
I nodded. Nolan put his coffee down and pulled me into his lap.
“Anyone who doesn’t want you in their life is a fucking fool,” he whispered into my ear.
I nuzzled into his neck.
“Ma will want you.”
“Maybe,” I said.
“What do you mean by that?”
“A lot of parents say they don’t care, but when you bring your boyfriend home, things change.”
“What do you mean?”
“They are supportive until they are faced with the reality.”
