“About?” He scratches under his chin.
“She thought I was pushing her away.” I take a slug of the water.
“And were you?”
I don’t dodge it. “Yeah.”
Dean nods once like that tracks. “You want this.” It’s not a question.
“Yeah.” The word lands clean.
“Then make sure she knows that.” Simple. I nod. He claps my shoulder once before walking back toward the mixing board. I mean, I cleared space for her this morning, but Dean’s right. She needs to hear it from me. I don’t want there to be any question.
When I get home, the apartment smells like something sweet. She’s at the stove, hair loose, wearing one of my Henley’s and no pants. The sight nearly undoes me all over again.
She glances over her shoulder. “You’re early.”
“Yeah.” I drop my bag and cross the space without thinking about it. My hands slide around her waist. She leans back into me immediately. No hesitation.
“I was thinking,” I murmur against her hair.
“That’s always dangerous.” She giggles and I feel the vibration against my chest. I smile against her skin.
“I don’t want you staying here because it’s convenient.”
She turns in my arms slowly, her eyes lifting to lock onto mine.
“I want you here because you want to be. Not because it’s easy. Not because it’s practical. Because,Iwant you here.”
Her hands settle on my chest. “That’s what I want too.” It’s so simple it almost wrecks me again.
“Then don’t go.” I rest my forehead against hers.
She studies my face carefully. “Okay.” Not dramatic. Not theatrical. And one hundred percent certain. She falls asleep on the couch halfway through a movie, like she always does. Head tipped back. Blanket slipping. Completely unaware.
I turn off the TV and sit there for a second just watching her. This doesn’t feel temporary anymore. It feels solid. I slide my arms under her and lift her carefully. She stirs, eyes barely opening. “Bed?” she mumbles.
“Yeah.”
When I lay her down, she reaches for me without thinking. And this time, I don’t hesitate. I slide in beside her and pull her close like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“I’m not pushing you away again,” I whisper into her hair.
Not as a dramatic promise. As a quiet decision. She hums softly against my chest. And for the first time in days, the silence inside my head isn’t loud. It’s just quiet.
Chapter Thirty
Mikey
Forever And A Day
Benson Boone
The apartment is different now.Not because anything changed structurally. Because it feels lived in. There’s a stack of her books on the coffee table. A cardigan draped over the arm of the couch. A pair of her flats kicked near the door like she forgot they weren’t always there. I step around them instead of moving them. Not because I don’t notice. Because I like that they’re there.
She’s in the kitchen, humming off-key while flipping something in a pan. The smell of garlic hits me before I even see her. Of course it’s garlic. I grin to myself as I sniff loudly.
“Too much?” She asks without turning around.
