Kellan groans, uttering curses as he pulls himself into the driver’s seat. “This is going to be a problem, isn’t it?”
Sibyl gives him a shit-eating grin. “More like my new life mission.”
Cool, soft fingers weave through my hair, pullingme into her. Pillowy lips tug at mine with a tenderness I’m still not used to. Chuck whistles, Hazel whoops beside us.
“Alright, we get it. You’re a thing now,” Kellan groans. “Stop it, Sibs, please.”
Sibyl giggles, trying to pull back, but I swing her onto my lap, flashbacks of that afternoon play in my mind—the way she rode my hand, right there in the parking lot. God, this girl was made for me.
“Hey,” she whispers, dark hair dropping like a curtain between us and the rest of the truck.
“Hey, gorgeous, I’ve been missing you.”
“I’ve been missing you, too. I miss Tucker.” Her sweet voice breaks, sending a dagger straight through my heart.
“Baby.” I swipe a tear off her cheek. “I’m so sorry. He’s missing you, too.”
“Can I come home with you tonight? I want to see him.”
A weight lifts off my chest as I tuck her into me. “You can come over whenever you want. Stay as long as you want.”
She chuckles, burying her face into my neck, as one hand reaches up to trace a path down my face.
“I like the beard,” she muses, fingers scratching my facial hair.
I haven’t had a beard since Lara died. She always liked me with facial hair. The past three weeks, I haven’t had it in me for a full shave. I’ve trimmed it once or twice, but this is the longest I’ve ever let it go. All my downtime has consisted of trying to figure out how to get here: with Sibyl in my lap, and some kind of plan for the future.
The one where I get to keep her.
Chapter 14
Sibyl
“Sibby!”Tucker crashes into my legs, his little arms wrapping around me. I scoop him up, burying my face in his neck. God, I missed him so much. I missed Eli, too, I did, but this kid is the highlight of my day.
There have been very few days in the last four years that I haven’t seen him. This is the longest I’ve spent away from him, and it about killed me. I knew I had a crush on Eli, but I think I’ve been in love with this little boy since the day I met him. I remember thinking how perfect Lara and Eli had done.
I don’t know when I started to see him as mine, but now that it’s an option? There’s no denying how I feel about them both. I want to be theirs, and I want them to be mine.
“Hey Buddy, I missed you.” I smack a kiss on his cheek, smoothing his wild curls off his face. He has hair like his mama. Unruly and beautiful, just like she was.
“I thought you were mad at me.” Tucker pulls away, looking down at his feet. His hands tangle around each other, and nervous energy buzzes around him.
“No way. Why would you think that?”
“I made you stay to read that story. I woke up, and I saw you leave. You were crying, you?—”
“That was my fault.” Eli kneels beside us, putting a hand on Tucker’s shoulder. “I made her cry.”
“But why?”
“Because I was scared.”
Air whooshes out of me at Eli’s confession. I guess we’re doing this now.
“You’re not scared of anything,” Tucker scoffs.
“I am, though.” Eli ruffles his hair, leaning against the couch. “I know you don’t remember her, Buddy, but I loved your mom.”
