“I still can’t believe you gave him back. Weren’t you in love with him by then? Pets are the easiest to love.”
“Oh, it was super hard, but my mom came home and had the next day off, and I knew she’d find him eventually.”
“She didn’t all the other nights?”
“No, she worked a lot, so by the time she’d come home, she usually just said good night and was half-asleep when she did it.”
That was another thing I learned tonight. Greer grew up with only her mom.
“How many jobs did your mom work?”
“Three. Most days she pulled doubles.”
“Did you see her often? That sounds like she would never be home.”
“It was definitely few and far between some days, but I never felt alone with her. And her days off were my favorite. We’d sleep in, watch a movie, order pizza, then go get ice cream. We didn’t have much, but I didn’t need much as long as I had her.”
Fuck. Greer’s heart is so kind, she doesn’t need a man like me in her life. One who can’t commit out of fear. She deserves better.
We take turns singing the chorus of songs from Journey to Blake Shelton and before I know it, I’m pulling into my driveway.
“Thanks again for coming tonight.”
“Of course. You mom really was happy.”
I nod. “I suppose we’ll need to think of a reason to split up.”
“Yeah, but let’s wait till the end of the summer.” She winks at me. “I’d like to keep my job and all.”
I laugh as she takes a step backward, waving goodbye.
I follow her. “If you think I’m not going to walk you to your door after everything you’ve done for me then you don’t know me very well.”
“Oh, I knew you would,” she says and bumps my arms with hers.
We reach her door, and I lean against the frame while she unlocks it. As soon as the door opens, I push off, twist my hat backward, ready to tell her goodnight, but then she leans against the opposite side of the door and looks up at me.
Her gaze drops to my mouth the way mine does to hers.
“Well, I?—”
“Why don’t you come inside?” she asks, reaching for the waist of my jeans and tugging me. “And stay.”
I let out a groan as she tilts her face up to me, her lips dangerously close to mine.
“You still want me to come inside after everything I just told you in the car?”
“Yeah.” She kisses my lips. “I do.”
This is it. My moment. When I can finally have her. When we both know where we stand.
I’m not pushing her away this time.
I cradle her head in my hands as I crash my lips to hers. Her hands move frantically to grip my shirt as we stumble backward into her house.
She flicks the light on and closes the door, never taking her lips off mine. I reach down, gripping her by the back of her thighs and lift her until her legs wrap around me.
“Fuck, Greer. Is this really happening?”
