Keaton looks at me incredulously. “You didn’t see the murder in his eyes when I ran into him at Mom and Dad’s months ago. He didn’t tell you?”
I grimace. “I kind of made you off limits for a while. It’s only been recently that we’ve brought you into our conversations.”
“Well, let me tell you, Charlie. He would have pulled my heart from my chest.” He pulls away from me gently. “It’s only fair, right?”
I toss my hands in the air with a light laugh. “Would you stop being dramatic for two seconds and listen to me?”
“Oh, man,” Keaton groans, dropping onto the couch and running his hands over his face. “I’m making this about me. I’m sorry, butterfly.”
A growl vibrates my throat as I march over and climb into his lap. “Stop. Stop always acting like you’re not important, too, Keaton. Your feelings are freaking valid, okay? You’re worried.You’re scared about how tonight is going to go, and you’re allowed to feel that.” I bring my hands back to his face. “You’ve focused on me for months. On my feelings. You push yours down because you don’t believe you have a right to feel anything after what you did. But that’s not how this works, Keaton. We can’t truly heal and move forward if you pretend I’m the only one who matters in this relationship. I need us to make it to a point where you’re not walking on eggshells around me. Have faith in my ability to set boundaries and regulate my feelings. If there’s something we can’t talk about, I’ll tell you. Trust me to take care of myself.”
His eyes search my face for so long that I’m sure our parents are going to show up any minute and burst this contented bubble we’ve found.
Then he leans forward and kisses me.
For a few blissful minutes, I let myself get lost in him. Heat flickers in my stomach, chased by a cold shiver. This time, I steer the moment, pulling away with a final, lingering kiss before the past can catch up to me.
“I really don’t deserve you, Charlie. But I promise I’ll do everything I can to ensure you’ll never regret taking a risk on me again. You’re choosing the hardest path you could take after what I did. It’s a choice that some people wouldn’t have made. It breaks my heart that there will be times when this feels overwhelming for you. Some days you’ll feel like quitting. But every day, I’m going to be right there beside you in the fight. You had the courage to leave me. To fight for a better future for yourself. It made me take a long look in the mirror at the person I was. The guy who was looking back at me wasn’t anyone I was proud of. It wasn’t someone my parents were proud of. Seeing your courage for better had me yearning for my own. There wasn’t anyone who could accomplish that for me except myself. I needed to look myself in the eye, so I set out to do that.”He brushes a finger over my brow, tracing my jawbone, before outlining my lips and dropping his hand. “I hear you, Charlie. I’ve been so focused on you that I’ve neglected parts of myself. I don’t regret that because you needed to be my focus. But you’re right. I have to trust that you’ll know your limits. I want us to heal and move forward, too. I promise I’ll stay in tune with what I’m feeling and communicate it to you instead of brushing it off. Whatever you need me to do for this to work and for us to have a happy and healthy future, I’ll do.”
“I just need you to believe that you deserve another chance to do better. To be a better person. There will always be people who won’t understand my decision. People who judge me for staying. They’ll say I have no self-respect, that I’m a doormat. They’ll say that I’m everything except what I actually am. An imperfect person who understands that humans have flaws. That they’re not perfect and sometimes, they make bad choices. They’ll refuse to give me grace, and they’ll refuse to believe that I know my worth and my heart. They won’t accept that you’re truly remorseful for the damage you caused by your actions. Because here’s the thing, Keaton. People will always want to see the bad in others. Empathy is a trait severely lacking in this world. But none of those people matter. There are only two opinions in this entire world about our relationship that matter, and they’re right here in this living room. It’s just you and me. We’re the ones in this. Together. As long as we wake up every day choosing each other, as long as we wake up and choose grace, and compassion, and love, then we’ll be okay. So, that’s what I need you to do, Keaton. I need you to wake up every day and choose me. Choose us. But through all of that, I also need you to choose yourself. Because you matter, too.”
His eyes radiate so much love, overflowing with silent apologies and promises he’s made a thousand times. In their depths, I see a future that’s achingly beautiful, fragile, and ours.
“I love you, Charlie.”
The words press against my tongue, heavy and impatient, but I hold them back. Not yet. We’re almost there, but not quite.
And Keaton—damn him—just gives me that knowing smile, eyes full of understanding, never pushing for more.
He never does.
The loud knock on my front door has him going rigid underneath me, and his face loses color again.
I bite the inside of my lip to stifle a laugh as I slip off his lap.
“That’s it. I’m dead. Your dad is all big and burly, and he’s going to crush my head with his biceps,” he rants as he stands up.
Just as I reach to open the door, he calls my name. “Charlie, wait.” I glance over my shoulder to witness him take a deep breath and pull himself tall. “Okay. Open it.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, hiding my smile again because he looks as if he doesn’t expect to make it another day.
He may have shattered my heart, but he should remember who my dad is. Honestly, it’s my mom he should fear more. She has that quiet, steely calm that hints at hidden depths.
“Yep,” he says, his voice high and squeaky.
Crimson fills his face as he clears his throat to try again. “Yes. I’m okay.”
I take him at his word and open the door to reveal our parents’ grim faces. Except…I don’t miss the twinkle in my dad’s eyes. That’s when I know that, despite how hard he’s going to make this tonight, everything is going to be okay. They have faith in my decision-making and won’t let their anger get in the way. Just like with my new relationship with Keaton, theirs won’t be a simple journey, either. What Keaton did changed something pivotal for all of us, and now we’re finding our footing on this new life path.
Keaton’s anxious energy crackles in the air, setting my nerves on edge.
Our parents step into the house, their gazes watching us curiously. They all know that we’ve slowly been working our way back together, but this is the first time they’re going to see us in the same space since Keaton cheated.
Will they pick up on the differences?
What do they see?
“Mom. Dad. Chester. Norma,” I greet.
