“It is, but seeing the two of you together, you look right.”
“We do?”
“Yeah. And I don’t want you to think Montana is something bigger than it is, it’s just a state.” Sienna smirks.
“Yeah, but … what about the other stuff?” I ask her cryptically.
“Will work itself out.” She grins.
“Being an adult seems hard,” Jenny adds, which has us all bursting out laughing.
“Come on, you two, let’s leave them to settle in,” Amelia says, ushering her sisters from our room.
“Did you mean all that?” I ask Sienna.
“Of course. Look, it’s new with Charlie, I get it, but you haven’t stopped messaging him the entire way to Australia. And he’s responded every single time. I think he’s as locked in as you are.”
“You think?”
Sienna nods. “Yeah. And look, he has some important things to work out, he’s suffered a lot, but I think once he’s worked through what he needs to, he’s going to be an unstoppable guy, and he’ll be coming for you.” I stare at my friend. I hope she’s right because this is the first time I’m saying screw it and opening my heart to a man. “I’m going to go for a walk and call Evan and the kids,” she says, grabbing her phone and walking out.
I stare at my own and decide to do the same, picking it up and calling Charlie.
“Derrick,” he says my name sounding relieved.
“Hope I didn’t wake you?”
“No. You can call me anytime.”
My heart skips a beat hearing his soothing voice as I break down on the phone. All I can hear is Charlie’s soothing words, telling me to let it out, that he has me, that I’m going to need tobe strong for Stacey and her family, so if anytime I don’t think I can be to call him no matter the time, to let it out and let him be my strength. If this man didn’t already have me falling for him, his words would have.
“I don’t know how you go on after something like this.” I sniffle.
“Humans are resilient people. You adapt. You do whatever it is to get through the day and the next. There are going to be some good days and some fucking bad days coming, and it’s all the process. All you can do is be there for them.”
“I don’t want to say or do anything that could hurt them.”
“There’s nothing that you can do that can hurt them any more than they are hurting now. Be yourself, your wonderful, bubbly, funny self. You bring such light to people, Derrick, now is the time to use it.”
Tears slide down my cheeks. “I miss you.”
“I wish I could hug you right now, but know that I miss you too,” he confesses.
“When I get back, can I come to see you?” I ask.
“Of course. You can come see me anytime,” he assures me.
“I’d like to see what life is like there.”
“If anyone can style Midnight Falls, it’s you,” he teases.
“Guess I’m getting ready to launch into my cowboy era.”
“Think assless chaps will look good on you.”
“Same,” I say, biting my bottom lip.
“I’m sure we can arrange something.” He growls, and now my dick is hard.
