And he desperately needs to know that I want him back. That I choose him back.
No matter his secrets. No matter our past. No matter what our relatives do or think or say.
I’ve never in my life felt more like I belong somewhere than I feel right now, with this man who had no reason to give me a chance at his heart kissing me like I’m his reason for living.
And I’ve never felt so inadequate as I do at wondering if I have it in me to love him as much as he deserves.
Everything in my life has always been so safe. Safe town. Safe family. Safe college. Safe job. Safe boyfriends. Safe sex.
Theo isn’tsafe.
He’slife. Real life.Biglife.
Can I be enough for him?
Can I?
“Awww, Laney and Theo, sitting in a tree…”
I flinch, and then I kick myself for flinching.
The Sullivan triplets. Where you hear one, you hear them all.
“I’m working on that reaction,” I whisper to Theo as he releases me with a sigh.
“I know.”
“I have a lot of work to do on me too. You don’t embarrass me.Iembarrass me.”
He doesn’t answer. Just watches me in the moonlight while the tide creeps farther up our legs.
“How’s your dad, Laney?” Lucky asks.
“Better. Thank you. We’re all so, so grateful that you were there and knew what to do.”
“That was my brother.”
Theo grunts softly. “Don’t be a dick.”
“Okay, yeah, that was me.” Lucky’s teeth flash in a grin in the moonlight. He apparentlyisalone. At least for the moment. “Welp. Gonna let you get back to what you were doing. Looked like fun. Need a third, you let me know.”
I don’t know what my face does, but it’s enough to leave him laughing as he walks away.
I groan to myself. “It isso hardto get over decades of being a stick in the mud.”
“Don’t have to get over it,” Theo says. “Just have to find where you’re comfortable and where you’re choosing foryou.”
I watch him in the moonlight too. He’s resting his forearms on his knees, looking down like he’s waiting for the next waves to roll in and he wants to know how close they’ll get to his butt.
“You’re very wise about the human experience.”
“I’m very experienced in the human experience.”
I nudge him softly with my shoulder. “Wanna come show me some of that experience after we play with some kittens? I’ll help with chores.”
“Not up for more fun in public?”
“Rather not risk the tide rolling in a jellyfish while you’re naked.”
