You’re never around anymore
I know. I’m sorry.
Is this what it’s gonna be like now? You’ve got Dean, so you don’t need us? Jk I’m giving you shit but also we miss you and you suck
What about you? Still dating the cute ranch hand? What was his name? Cody? Colton?
If you come around more, you might find out
OK, message received
I smiled at the phone. It was a relief to know the Protectors still had an occasional detail checking on my mom and sister, and Mom had a security system that I always bugged her and Stephie about using.
Maybe after the craziness died down, and we got another bedroom fixed up, Dean and I could invite Mom and Stephie over here to stay a few days and…
What was I thinking? I wouldn’t be living here that much longer.
Dean and I would have to “break up” soon. But Mom and Stephie would survive the bad news.Iwould survive it. I could visit Stephie often enough that she’d be begging me to go away. We would all go back to normal.
I would get over Dean. Somehow.
Sure. Keep on lying to yourself.
I really was exhausted, so I lay down to nap for a little while. Until the enticing smell of food woke me, and my stomach started making demands. I’d barely eaten anything all day, and my appetite was back.
When I went to investigate, I found Dean bent over the oven. There was jazz playing from his phone, and a couple of candles were lit on the diningtable already.
“What’s all this?”
He turned around, tossing an oven mitt onto the counter. “We didn’t get to have our date last night, so I figured I owed you another try. Except it’s frozen pizza and garlic bread instead of a nice restaurant.”
“Garlic? On a date?”
“It’s no foul if we’re both eating it. I’ll still kiss you.” His arms circled my waist, pulling me closer. “Yesterday got derailed in pretty much every way possible. The dress I bought you got ruined. I could call Lorraine and see if she has another in stock.”
I shrugged. “It’s not necessary.”
“But I still want to give you something special.”
“Like garlic breath?”
He grinned. “Yeah. Garlic breath and a whole lot of kissing. And maybe more. If you’re lucky.”
My heart ached even as his mouth met mine in a tender, perfect kiss. Why, oh why, did Dean have to be everything I wanted? I had him, right here, and he would always be out of reach.
“Any new insights about what Medina said?” Dean asked. “Decisions?”
“No.” I put my head on his chest. “I can’t think about that anymore tonight.”
“Okay. You don’t have to. Let’s just be together.”
That was all I wanted.
We had dinner by candlelight at the table. Cheesy pizza with extra marinara on the side and bread swimming in garlic butter. After eating so little the past day, it tasted like the finest cuisine. The bottle of red wine didn’t hurt either. My chair was right next to Dean’s, and I wound up with my legs draped over his lap, his arm tight around my shoulders.
I hardly had any pain anymore in my injuries. I would never take my health for granted again. The simple privilegeof having a body that didn’t hurt and an arm that could lift over my head.
Now, I knew I could survive just about anything. Including a broken heart.
