What the hell did I just do?
Gavin finds me twenty minutes later, still slumped over my desk, contemplating my life choices.
"Doc?" He knocks on my open door. "You okay?"
"I've made a terrible mistake."
He crosses the room and perches on the edge of my bed, which creaks ominously under his weight. "What kind of mistake?"
"I accidentally invited you to Sunday dinner tonight with my family."
His eyebrows shoot up. "Accidentally?"
"My mamma called, and I panicked and asked if I could bring a friend, and now she thinks I'm dating a girl, and my sisters won't stop texting me, and I don't know why I did that."
I'm spiraling. I can hear myself spiraling. I can't stop.
"And the thing is, I'm not even out to them, well, the girls might guess if I show up with a man, they're not stupid, and mymamma made this comment once about loving me no matter what, which, looking back, was definitely a hint.”
I don't even know if I’m breathing at this point in my insane ramble but I can't stop.
“I think it was a hint. Mamma knows everything else I try to hide so why not this… but I never actually said anything, and my papa, my papa doesn't even know about med school yet because every time I try to talk to him he just talks at me about the company and I can't get a word in and?—"
Gavin stands up, crosses to me in two steps, and grabs my hips.
"Wha—"
He lifts me out of my chair like I weigh nothing and carries me to the bed, sitting down with me in his lap. His arms wrap around me, solid and warm.
"Breathe," he says.
I breathe.
"Okay." His chin rests on top of my head. "Let's start over. You want me to come to dinner with your family?"
"Yes. Maybe. I don't know." I slump against his chest. "I thought... maybe you could be a buffer? Between me and my papa? Because he's going to ask about me coming to work for the company, and I'm going to have to tell him I'm not, and it's going to be a whole thing, and I thought maybe if you were there?—"
"I'd love to come."
I pull back to look at him. "Really?"
"Doc. A home-cooked Italian dinner? Of course I'm coming." He grins. "Plus, I get to meet your family. That's kind of a big deal."
"They're going to think you're my friend. Just my friend."
"That's fine."
"Is it?" I search his face. "After everything with your family, I don't want you to feel like I'm hiding you."
His expression softens. "I get it. More than anyone, I get it. Family stuff is complicated." He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "If you need me to just be your friend for one dinner, I can do that."
"Thank you."
"But." His eyes sparkle. "If you decide you want to tell them, I'll be right there. Whatever you need."
I kiss him. Can't help it. He's too perfect.
When I pull back, he's smiling. "So. Tell me about this family I'm about to meet."
