“The bookstore’s not done. And functional doesn’t mean well adjusted.”
“I really think you’re both.”
“Why do I feel weirdly offended right now?”
Vik smiled into Mae’s shoulder. “And I know you’re in love with Dell,” they said, “because you’re drinking champagne with him and telling him about Becks. Am I wrong that the only other people you’ve told about your one youthful foray into cheating are me and Jesus?”
Mae opened and closed her mouth as she contemplated the question.
“No,” she finally admitted. “Not wrong.”
“Anyway,” Vik added, “I’d fall in love with the person who built this ADU, too.”
“God, Vik.” Mae groaned. “He is so fucking sexy I can barely stand it.”
“And we’re sure he’s attached to this fuck buddy?”
Mae bit her lip, thinking about that blush on Dell’s cheeks yesterday. God. That had only beenyesterday.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “I think so.”
“Well,” Vik said on a wistful sigh, “either way, I can’t wait to meet this Dell McCleary.”
“Yeah.” Mae smiled sadly at the ceiling. “You should give him as much shit as humanly possible.” And then, after a minute, the words tumbled out of her, spoken in barely a whisper but feeling like they were screaming out of her chest: “Vik, do you think I’ll ever actually belong here?”
Vik raised their head.
“I need your brutal honesty here.”
Vik took their time before answering.
“I think you’ve moved around a fair amount, Mae, like most of us have. So I think you know that it takes a while to belong anywhere.”
“Yeah.” There were a few native Oregonians among them: Jackson, Ozzy. Steve had been, too. But most of them, like Mae, came from other places. Sometimes, many other places.
“This place might just feel a little scarier than the others. For lots of reasons. But if youwantto belong here, Mae? You will.” A pause. “You can belong anywhere.”
Another pause, just long enough for a lump to form in Mae’s throat.
But still.
Still.
Even with Vik’s kind words.
Mae was scared.
“Someone threw a brick through my window,” she whispered. “What if I never get over that?”
Vik’s hand came to Mae’s face. Caressed her cheek.
“The human brain is incredible,” they whispered back. “It has gotten over so many worse things than one brick.”
Mae knew the words were true. She still felt pretty scared, just then, but she tried to tell herself to remember. That she still had books. That Vik’s words were true.
And then a totally different question formed out of the ether, one she was shocked, upon its arrival, she hadn’t already contemplated.
She supposed she had been too busy being selfish.
