Page 77 of Pippin & Nacho

Sam scowled and shook his head. “Fuck no. I hate them. I have enough closure. Plus…”

I looked up at him, staring out across the playground full of dead grass, yet the trees and shrubs were full of fresh leaves. The chain-link fencing was rusted. The entire vibe was one of depression and hope. It was weird, yet I related to it somehow.

“Plus, what?”

“There’s a lot of fear. What if they force me to go back to that place? What if…”

“They can’t legally. You’re an adult now, Sam, but I get why you’re afraid. I would be, too.”

Sam grabbed the chain of my swing and pulled me close to him. He pressed his head to mine before giving me a short but encouraging kiss. “You can do this, but only if you want to.”

“Let’s do it.”

I dialed my father’s number, and it rang three times before a deep voice answered the other line.

“Hello?”

“Is… Is this Isaiah Lamont?”

“Are you sure you want to come, Sam?”

He scoffed at me. “As if I would let you meet your dad alone.”

Sam never stopped amazing me. “But the diner will be loud and busy.”

He visibly swallowed as his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I know. I’ll use my earbuds if I need them. It’s not like we haven’t been to the diner before.”

“Right, but we usually go when it’s the least busy.”

“I can do this so I can be there for you.”

I grabbed his face and pulled him into a languid kiss full of tongue. Shit, we really needed to have sex again, and soon.

“You are always there for me.”

He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the nape of his neck, then started to pace, the nerves oozing off him. “I ah… called Alpha. We talked yesterday.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“I’m going to try, Star. He’s going to find me a pro-bono therapist… to talk to me through video conference.”

My stomach flipped as a rush of warmth spread over my skin. “And you think you aren’t brave? Holy shit, Sam… this is huge! I’m so proud of you.”

I forced him to stop pacing and pulled him into a hug. He tangled his fingers in my curls, holding me tight. “It’s so fucking scary.”

“I know, baby.”

“But I want to do this… for us.”

“No, you do this for you. I love you just as you are, but I also want you to stop hurting.”

“I want to stop hurting, too.”

Thank god. Finally. Sam needed to be happy. He deserved it, but I could only do so much.

“Now, let’s go see your dad.”

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I said as Sam and I stopped in front of the old diner where Stix’s mom worked, though I wasn’t sure if she worked today or not. Maybe I should’ve called and checked. Having another familiar face there would help.

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