They get out of the car, looking more casual than I usually see them—Seth in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and Damiano in jeans, a shirt, and a jacket. I hurry toward them, my purse slung over my shoulder.
“Nope, back inside.” Seth holds up a black gift bag with silver trim. “We have a present for you.”
“Ooh, I like presents.”
The men exchange an amused look.
I’m immediately suspicious. “What was that look for?”
“Nothing at all.” Damiano’s grin grows—he’s lying and he wants me to know it.
Well, whatever their inside joke, I guess I’ll find out soon enough. We go into the house together. I disarm the security system and turn to face them.
Seth doesn’t immediately hand over the gift bag. “I want to say something, first.”
He sounds so serious, I’m starting to worry. Am I already screwing things up? Maybe I am being too needy.
“I’m sorry we haven’t been as present with you, the last few days,” he says.
Damiano nods. “I am sorry too, bella.”
“Oh.” This isn’t what I expected. “It’s okay. I know there’s a lot going on.”
“You are our priority.” Seth’s deep voice is soaked in sincerity. “The truth is, every moment, I want to see you. The whole reason I’ve been putting all my energy into my parents is because there’s a countdown to finding them, and I want to get it over with as soon as possible, to put it behind me.”
“I understand.” I nod for emphasis, feeling a bit foolish. It means a lot that they’re clearing the air, even though I don’t think they owe me an explanation. “It’s…it’s really nice to know you want to spend time with me, just like I do with you.”
“So we’re all on the same page, so to speak?” Damiano asks. “We want to give you all of our time, but at the moment, we don’t have much left over.”
“I get it. I’m sorry I’ve been texting so much.”
Seth pulls his phone from his pocket. “You texted me twice today.”
Damiano looks as his. “And me, three times. This is not too much, Madison.”
So I’m not needy. Phew. I lean against the banister at the base of the stairs, relieved. “If I get to be too much, you’ll tell me, right? I know I need other friends—I was thinking of joining a ceramics class or something.”
“If you want friends, that’s fine,” Seth says, “but we’re your friends, too. You can text us anytime.”
My heart feels warm and cared for. I love the idea that they’re my boyfriends, but they’re also my friends. “Thank you.”
“Now.” Seth holds up the gift bag. “Are you ready for your present?”
I sashay over to him, enjoying the way my skirt skims against my legs as I walk. I take the bag from his grasp and open it, carefully pulling aside the tissue to reveal…
“Is this a butt plug?” I’ve seen pictures, but I’ve never held one before.
“It is,” Damiano says.
I raise my eyebrows at them. “How romantic.”
“We thought so, too.” Seth plucks the package out of my grasp. “I’ll be right back.”
I look at Damiano in question as Seth takes the package into the kitchen.
“He’s going to wash it for you,” Damiano explains.
“Well, we have the movie to go to, so maybe that can wait?”
