Page 81 of Good Time Boyfriend
Somehow Heath extracted himself from my youngest sibling and came over to me. “Are you okay? What is it? Are you hurting?”
“I’m fine. I’m just happy.”
He looked perplexed, but my mother just waved him off. “It’s a woman thing.”
“I don’t know, I cry when I’m happy too,” August said, with such a deadpan voice I burst out laughing.
“You guys are ridiculous, and I love you all. I still can’t believe we all fit into this house.”
We were in my parents’ house, and I was amazed they had seating for everyone. Barely.
“Well, some of us may be eating on the floor at the coffee table, but that’s fine. The kiddie table may also be in the laundry room.”
“My family and I are grateful that you invited us,” Heath said, as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“Well, as Luca is already sampling the veggie trays as he talks to the children, I have a feeling we’re going to be one big, blended family soon.”
I stiffened, as Heath cleared his throat. “Thank you. We’re still getting used to this whole family thing. I kind of like it.”
I was grateful that Heath had taken it like that, and not the whole marriage and family and name thing. Because Heath and I were still learning how we loved each other. How we blended.
I wasn’t ready to be married. To have a horde of children like my stepsiblings. But I was ready to live with and spend my life with Heath.
One day at a time.
Somehow, we found a place to eat, sitting between Luca and one of my brothers. August had been conscripted to go sit with the younger siblings, and I just laughed, loving the way everybody seemed to get along, even though we were all different people with our own stories.
When dessert came out, I was so full I knew I would burst soon.
But I had almost lost everything, and didn’t even realize I had it all to begin with. I could still see the lights flashing, headlights then darkness, headlights then darkness.
But I had survived.
“Are you okay?” Heath asked, his voice low beneath the din of conversations around us.
“I’m wonderful.”
“I love you, fake girlfriend,” he whispered.
“I love you, imaginary boyfriend.”
Luca made a choking sound, and I narrowed my gaze at him, before he grinned and turned to joke with Addison.
We were all family. In a complicated sort of way. And I was so damn happy.
I hadn’t meant to be. Hadn’t thought this was in my future.
But it was.
I was a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, and a girlfriend. I would take those labels any day, and any more that came at me. Because I could stand up for myself, I could love, I could fear, and I could breathe. And I would never do it alone. Because I had my family, and I had Heath.
The most unexpected present of all.
Chapter 22
Addison
Iwas not a fan of waiting. It broke time into measurements that either slowed down or sped up, depending on what you waited for. And I was not good at waiting.
