It wasn’t my place. Except... it kinda was.
It was Christmas, and no matter how much I tried to pretend I didn’t care, I did. I knew she missed him. I knew she wanted him in her life, and even though she said it was only as a friend, there was so much more to that.
I drew in a breath and forced myself to keep climbing, moving the rest of the way up the stairs. When I reached the bedroom, I laid her down gently on the bed, pulled the covers up, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
I headed downstairs, pulled out my phone, and scrolled until I landed on his name.
My thumb hovered over the call button.
“Fuck it,” I muttered and hit dial.
“Dirks?” he grunted.
“Merry Christmas, asshole.”
“Uh-huh. You drunk?”
“Completely sober. Just stupid, apparently.”
He snorted. “That tracks. What do you want?”
I let out a breath and sat on the couch downstairs. “Luna told me what happened after you left.”
There was silence on the other end. That kind of silence that usually meant he was clenching his jaw or rolling his eyes or both.
“She tell you she’s a damn hurricane?”
“She doesn’t have to.” I chuckled. “I’m not calling to gloat, Jer. I’m calling because—” I swallowed. “Because I think she needs you. Not instead of me. Not more than me. But... with me.”
“Are you calling to offer me a time-share?”
“I’m calling because she’s complicated. It takes more than one person to hold her up. We both know she needs someone who can call her on her bullshit. Someone who’s not afraid to get a little messy with her.”
“And that’s . . . me?”
“I mean, I’m the one walking around with a collar half the time,” I said jokingly and then laughed quietly to myself. “Which, ironically, isn’t even really a joke.”
He actually chuckled. “Jesus Christ.”
“Seriously, you know her history. You know the secrets she’s still not ready to tell me. Heck, you’re part of them. I’m not asking you to pick up where you left off, Jer. I’m just saying...” Sobering, I added, “She’s doing this big yoga event on the beach this weekend. You should come. Surprise her.”
“You trying to set me up to get punched in the face?”
“She’d probably make you do a plank for ten minutes instead.”
He huffed and then said flatly, “Together?”
“If that’s what you want,” I said. “Look, I’ve had her to myself for a while. It’s not fair—not to you, not to her. I’m not trying to be noble or some evolved emotionally intelligent fucker, but... she deserves both of us.”
Jeremy sighed.
“I’m not saying this to pressure you,” I murmured. “If you want me there, I’ll come. But if you’re serious about this whole friend thing?—”
“Yeah, yeah. You don’t gotta walk me through it like I’m some toddler learning to share. I’ll be there.”
I blinked. “You will?”
A grumble came through the speaker. “Yeah. But only if you’re there, too.”
