“Why?”
“Because it’s a great story about a guy a lot of people still want more of. Pretty much every interview I do, they ask me something about Gabe. And the way you wrote his story… it’s beautiful. And funny, just like he was. You really knew him. You admired him, and you got to just hang out with him and know him when his guard was down. No one else could write his story like you did.”
My eyes had gone a little glossy at his words. I sniffed and dabbed the corner of my eye with my hand.
“Courteney Clarke,” he teased, “did you just get the feels?”
“Shut up.”
He put his arm around me. I took a breath and said the words that no one in my family seemed to ever want me to say.
“I loved him.”
“I know, babe. And anyone who reads that book will know it, too.” He kissed my head. “I loved him, too.”
He just held me for a moment while we stood there in silence, and I let the pain wash over me as it sometimes did, without notice.
Then I pulled myself together.
“And… if the book does well,” I said, gathering my courage to tell him therestof my dream, “maybe I could write some more? I have all kinds of notes and little stories I’ve been writing and collecting, about people I’ve met. Mostly in the music industry. I’d like to write the stories of a lot of interesting people. I don’t know why, it just interests me like nothing else does.”
“That’s cool.”
“Like… Imagine if you died, and no one had a story to tell about you? I think that would the saddest thing of all.”
“So then tell those stories, Court.”
“I think I will,” I said, and I really meant it. I’d never actually told anyone all this stuff before, other than Angie. But I meant it. “Are you gonna make me get a real job, though? I have some savings, but I’m not exactly rolling in dough here.”
“I already told you. I’m covering the mortgage and all the basics, and you don’t have to worry about it. I have money. And I’ve got this really hot lead singer now. I’m pretty fucking sure when we drop a few songs, people will be listening. The money will come. And there’s still money coming in from Alive, from Steel Trap. It all adds up.”
I looked up into his eyes. They were all bluish tonight, reflecting back the glow off the water. “You think we’ll be okay?”
“We’ll be okay,” he assured me.
“Because I really want to stay with you. And I don’t want you to get annoyed that I’m a poor writer type. Like, I can see if the pretzel guy is hiring, if it comes down to it.”
“I’d rather join a marching band than let my woman sling pretzels.”
“You’d look so cute in one of those uniforms!”
“See? There’s always a plus side.”
Then he kissed me softly. I pressed against him and kissed him back.
“Babe,” he murmured against my lips. “Stop worrying about money. I’ve got you. You do what you love doing, what you’re good at, and the money will come. I promise you that. We’ll make it work.”
Well, that was an amazing thing for him to say. It definitely made me feel better.
But…
“It’s just… freaky,” I told him. “My parents and my brother always paid for everything, took care of me. I feel like I have so much to learn about being grown-up. I know I’ve yelled at you a lot about what an adult I am… but I’m still learning.”
“Sweetheart, we’re all still learning.”
I wrapped my arms around him, and we held each other close. “Then we’ll learn together. You’ve never lived with a girl before, have you?”
“Nope.”
