Page 41 of Somewhere You Belong

“I had that dream again,” I say, breaking the silence that had settled while I gave my mother time to collect herself.

Her sigh has her relaxing in my arms more. “I’m sorry. Dreams can be devilish little suckers.”

“Yeah. But…it was different this time, too.”

“How so?”

“The woman’s face wasn’t hers. It was…someone else.”

“Who?”

“I’m not sure,” I lie, not wanting to bring up my mixed feelings about the new girl in town with my mom right now, feelings I know I shouldn’t be entertaining at all.

“Well, sometimes our minds will play tricks on us, make us think one thing when there’s really an entirely different meaning behind it.”

I huff. “Yeah. Sounds about right.”

“Is that why you came over here? Because you had a bad dream?” she teases, pushing herself from my shoulder so Ican see her face now.

The lilt in her voice makes me grin. “Maybe.”

She smiles, and fuck if the sight doesn’t make me feel ten feet tall. After seeing her moments ago, cradled on the floor, the bright white of her teeth is bringing a sense of comfort.

On our hardest days, it’s important to remember that we survived every single one that came before it.

“Good to know that my motherly powers are still intact.” She pulls me in for a hug. “I love you, son.”

“I love you too, Mom. We’ll get through this. I promise.”

***

“Hey.” Penn walks through the front door of the restaurant just after two, sweaty and covered in dust.

“Hey,” I reply. “What have you been up to?”

“I was over at Willow’s house, starting on some of the demolition.”

Just the mention of her name has my pulse spiking. I’ve lasted a few hours without letting her cross my mind, but work can only serve as a distraction for so long. “Is that so? What are you starting with?”

“Ripping out the shower in the downstairs bathroom. Since it’s something she won’t use, we thought we’d start there first. I want to do as much on the inside as I can while I wait for the materials for the roof.” He moves around me, reaching for a glass and filling it with water, draining the entire thing in one long drink.

“Sounds like a good idea.” I’m not sure what else to say that won’t make it seem like I’m fishing for information, but part of me wants to know everything I can about the house—or abouther.

Penn flicks his eyes over to me, reading my mind. “Just ask whatever it is you want to ask, Dallas.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I strengthen my stance. “I can’t believe you’re helping her.”Okay, that’s not what I planned on saying, but apparently my mouth took over my brain.

The smirk he flashes has me itching to put him in a headlock. “Why not? It’s good money. Surely you can’t fault me for wanting to be able to pay my bills.”

“I’m not. But it’sher, and it’sthathouse.”

“Does it matter? Or is your problem more about the fact that you want to fuck her, and not that she’s living in the place that you’ve already claimed as your own?”

I shake my head at him, clenching my jaw. “You’re a dick, and you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“No, I believe you’ve claimed that role with the way you’ve treated the woman since she got here.” After she left the bar last Friday night, I told Penn briefly about our interactions thus far, but he doesn’t know about what happened yesterday with the chair. “And contrary to what you remember from grade school, being a dick to a girl is not an acceptable way to tell her that you like her.”

“You’ve got it all wrong, Penn.” I slap the towel down on the bar and then move to walk away from him.

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