Releasing my hand, she walks around the counter and turns me on the stool to face her, my legs on either side of her as she cups my face. “Look at me.”
I do, and I see her bright blue eyes shining at me. “Yeah?”
“You are here for a reason. I know it’s hard for you to accept because of how you’ve been treated by others in the past, but you are worthy of good things in this life. Friends, family, and love. Who cares how you got here? What matters is that you’re here.”
“How can I just ignore—”
“Does your mom look at you any differently than other moms look at their kids? Does she look at you and relive the trauma? Have you ever gotten that indicationfrom her?”
Thinking back, I can’t think of a single moment. “Not that I know of.”
“There is always a silver lining to every bad situation. You are that silver lining, Zeppelin Molloy.”
“What good am I?”
Misty runs her fingers through my hair and smiles. “You’re good at so many things. Sexual things aside, you’re caring. You’re a good friend. Cat dad who kept a cat who hates him when he could have tossed him out or given him away. You have a club who would die for you and you them.”
“I do have a traitorous cat.”
Her hands drop to take mine, and she smiles at me. “I’m pretty sure Bernie and I were missing you before we even met you. If you were never here, I think we’d be missing you forever.”
If there’s anything that can make me feel better, make me feel like I’m worth something, it’s that. “Thank you, Misty.”
“More alcohol?”
The last thing I want is not remembering tonight. It feels important. “No, I don’t think so.”
“What do you need, Zep?”
“Can we just… talk? Maybe fall asleep together?”
She places a hand on my cheek, and I lean into it. “Whatever you need, baby.”
I pull her to me, and I burrow my face in her neck. Breathing in her scent calms me. Two minutes ago, I wished I was never born to take away Mama’s pain, and then Misty makes me fucking glad I was with only a few words.
“I should go home and shower. I planned to do that before I came over here tonight.”
“Take a bath with me,” she says. “I’ll wash your hair and take care of you.”
Pulling back, I gaze into her eyes. “You will?”
“You tell me that I need to lower the fence around my heart, and I have. Now, I need you to stop thinking you’re not worth taking care of. Tonight, it’s not about sex. It’s not about me. Tonight, it’s just about you.”
I smirk. “But I like the sex. And I like making things about you.”
Her lips gently graze mine. “If that’s what you need, you can have it. But I want to make sure you see how nice it is to have someone care about you, Zep. In the ways that matter outside of the bedroom.”
Misty’s what I’ve needed for years. Now that I have her, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Zeppelin
“Are we going to fit?” I ask as she pulls me by the hand into the bathroom.
My eyes land on the largest clawfoot tub I’ve ever seen, and I’m impressed Gloria managed to get in and out of this thing without falling and breaking a hip.
“I think so,” Misty says with a smirk. “You left some clothes here the last time you stayed the night, so I have something for you to change into once we’re clean.”
