Dell jerked his head toward her so fast his beard almost scraped her corneas.
“What?”
“I—” She turned her face into his breast. “I know it was what I always wanted. But part of me had become convinced you might stay in Michigan permanently, to stay with your mom, so when you suddenly handed the building over to me, it felt like…you were ripping away the final Band-Aid that attached you to me. You know?”
“Mae.” Dell exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. “God, no. It’s just—I should’ve sold it to you a long time ago, the first time we kissed, the first time I accepted I had feelings for you. I don’t like power differentials in relationships, and me having ownership of your store when we were romantically involved felt wrong to me. I just kind of…forgot to do anything about it, in the hecticness of everything, and when I remembered, I had to make it right.”
She shook her head.
“Of course you did,” she said.God, she loved him.
“But I’m so sorry if it made you upset.”
“No, it’s okay.” And then, giving his chest a kiss, “I had started to think of this place asours, though.”
A pause.
“Oh.” Quiet, a bit surprised. “I didn’t—” Dell swallowed. “That’s kind of you, to think that, even though I really did just make some bookshelves.”
“And paid for half of the repairs.”
“Well—”
“And gave me a place to live. For free.”
“I still don’t exactly understand how that ended up happening, but I’m glad it did.”
“And took me to the lumberyard. Listened to me, every day.”
“If you—” Another uncertain pause. “I mean, we are still waiting on the title paperwork, I suppose, if you really want to change?—”
“Oh no, I own this shit now. No take backs.”
And Dell barked out a laugh that shook Mae’s whole body.
“You are something else, Mae Kellerman.”
Mae kissed the side of his breast again.
“I own this building,” she said, “but it’ll still always be a little bit yours.”
Dell’s laughter died down. His arm wrapped around her back, fingers dancing along her shoulder.
“That sounds good to me.” A minute went by before he asked, “Did you really think I wasn’t coming back?”
Mae could hear the troubled frown in his voice. She tried to not feel foolish.
“You just…never said, on the phone or over text.Can’t wait to come home. Can’t wait to see you again.You know? I got paranoid. Maybe a bit dramatic. I don’t know.”
Dell sighed.
“I was gone for two months, Mae,” he said, voice quiet again, serious. “That’s pretty dramatic. I just…I never want to lie to you. And I never knew when I’d be coming home. So I could never say it.”
Mae closed her eyes.
“But I’ll be better, next time. At making sure you know I’ll always come back to you.”
“I know, Dell. I know.” And she did know. Not just that he would do better next time. Not just that he would always come back.
