“Fair enough.” I sigh, plopping down on her bed. Truman immediately jumps onto my lap, obviously expecting to be pet. I stroke his orange fur, deciding to confide in my love. “Well, there’s no point in hiding it. I guess I’m still getting used to not seeing him around.”
She pauses mid-action, then rests her hands atop her luggage. She peers up into my eyes from her position on the floor. “You’re missing Kai.”
“I guess,” I grunt. She joins me on her bed, letting our thighs touch.
“Why do you think you’re feeling this way?” She rubs my back gently, leading me to wonder how I ever survived without her touch.
“I don’t know. He drove me crazy. He crashed all our dates, tried to force us apart at first, drank my beer without asking, and constantly called me ‘buddy,’ despite my protests.” I scoff. “He was a pain in my ass, if I’m being honest. I don’t know why I feel like this.”
“Jasper, you should know by now what this means.” Her hand roams from my back to my front, resting on my heart soothingly. “You’re grieving.”
“I’m grieving a guy I never even knew before he died? Nonsense.” I ignore the sinking feeling in my chest.
“Just give yourself time. I’ll be here to talk when you’re ready.” As I think about her statement, my head hurts.That’swhat this unbearable feeling in my chest is? I can’t even begin to comprehend how she navigated through this seemingly alone for years.
“Okay, Greene. You may be right,” I whisper. “I guess I’m grieving… This is my first time losing him, and to be frank, it’s heavy. But yes, I think I just need some time to process it.”
“I’ll always be here. I miss him, too,” she says with tears in her eyes. “Ugh, I cry overeverythingnow. It’s exhausting.”
I chuckle and wrap both of my arms around her, pulling her toward me and whispering, “Well, I love it.”
She rolls her eyes and elbows me, wiggling her way out of my grasp. I reach for her again and miss. Her eyes shine bright with victory as she sinks back down to the floor to resume packing. We’re heading to her parents’ home for the holidays—shocking, I know. It certainly wasn’t my idea. It wasn’t her idea, either. Her mom actually invited her, and for once, she sounded excited to host her daughter. I wasn’t sure about going at first, but after seeing the hope in her eyes, I knew I had to support her in this.
If she wants to work on mending the relationship she has with her parents, I’ll walk with her every step of the way. If she chooses to cut them out of her life forever, I’ll stand by her side proudly for that, too. Wherever Iris goes, I’ll follow.
Thankfully, we could both take a couple of days off of work to enjoy the break. Business at Aged Emporium has been booming since the fundraiser. We received thousands of dollars in generous donations, a majority of which is going toward amajor renovation of the shop. One of those renovation projects includes the installation of an elevator. When I told my parents the news, my mom immediately burst into hysterics, which wasn’t shocking. To my surprise, though, my dad choked up, too. He loves Aged Emporium with all his heart; he deserves to be able to wander to whatever corner of the shop he pleases without limitation, and in a few months, he will.
With all the extra business, Aged Emporium is already exceeding expectations. In other words, we’re no longer in the hole. In fact, we’re nowhere near the hole. I’m hoping never to get close to that hole again, plainly speaking. And while I’m on the subject, I have to admit, managing Aged Emporium has grown on me. Lately, instead of dreading spending my days there, I look forward to them.
We’re planning on spending the weekend with Greene’s folks, then we’re heading back to the Cove early so I can get her all to myself for the remainder of our time off.I. Can’t. Wait.We prioritized being back in time for Trivia Tuesday—Callie will kill us if we miss another anytime soon.
“Hey, do you mind grabbing me a Tupperware set from the kitchen?”
“Um, sure,” I answer, raising an eyebrow.
“What? My parents never keep leftovers, so they don’t even own good Tupperware,” she answers defensively.
“Whatever you say, Greene,” I taunt, strolling out of her bedroom toward the kitchen. As I open the fridge, I see an unopened bottle of beer. I reach for it and realize it’s a beer from my home.
“Hey, did you grab one of my beers from my place before we got here?” I shout from the kitchen.
“Nope, why?” If Iris didn’t grab this, then… I scoff, realizing how impossiblethisseems. Now Kai is just screwing with me. He knows I’m a skeptic, so he probably assumed this woulddrive me insane. Instead of being driven to insanity by this, I’m actually feeling a sense of relief. I remember the first time we drank together all too well. I don’t need an explanation this time. Instead, I crack open the bottle and swallow, choking back tears.
Damn. Kai was something else.
“Well, that was an eventful day.” Iris sighs as she settles into her teenage bed that barely fits the both of us. “I’m already ready to go home.”
“I’m always ready to go home at this point,” I grumble, climbing underneath the sheets next to her, wrapping her in my arms and breathing in her scent. “Speaking of home… I want to give something to you, Greene.”
“Oh, baby, as much as I would love ownership of your home, I'm in a little over my head as is at the moment,” she taunts. I roll my eyes in response, resulting in her barking out a laugh.
“You’re relentless,” I say.
“So I’ve been told,” she jokes. I love seeing this side of my girl. Ever since Kai ascended, she has been more airy than ever.
“I’m being serious, though. Here, sit up.” I rise, leaning my back against the wooden headboard and reaching over to the nightstand to grab a small gift box. At first, Greene protests getting up, insisting she is already comfortable as is, but upon seeing the little box resting in my hand, she gets up, resting her back alongside the headboard next to mine.
“I know we haven’t been together long, and this might seem crazy, but I’ve found that I throw all logic out the window whenit concerns you,” I admit, glimpsing into her emerald eyes and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Drifting off to sleep to the sound of your voice is the lullaby I never knew I needed. And I mean that—Ineedyou. I need to fall asleep to the sound of your voice and wake up to the feel of your body against mine."
