Page 21 of Always You

“You’ve been taking care of your mother all this time?” He lets out a deep sigh, as if he wishes he could take over my burden. No one can take over my burden. And I wouldn’t want it any other way. I owe my mother everything; it’s why I don’t mind taking care of her. She took care of me. Now I take care of her. It’s as simple as that.

“It’s not like I have a choice.”

“That’s heavy, babe.” His voice is strained, eyes concerned.

“It’s okay. I’d rather take care of her than have her six feet under.” I give him a smile to make him more at ease, but instead he bites his lip as if he’s doing his best to not make a big deal out of it, just like I am.

“I’m sorry, Charls.”

“Charls?” I cock my eyebrow.

He lets out a chuckle that lightens the mood, then throws me a playful look.

“As much as I like Charlotte, it’s too long for me. And Julie already has Charlie,” he clarifies. “I need my own.”

“You do realize it’s the same number of syllables as Hunter.” I smile, pressing my shoulder deeper into the leather seat to keep my focus on him.

He throws back his backrest and gets comfortable, closing his eyes. “More letters don’t count.”

Instantly, my nose inhales the sweet scent that is his, which slightly overwhelms my senses. A mix of something fresh and woodsy, making me wish I could bury myself in it.

“I’m not sure I’m on board with this. But you’ll get a pass. For now.”

“Good,” he responds, not moving an inch. “So, what is your mom’s prognosis?”

“Pff, who knows?” I huff, examining his rugged face once more. His chiseled jaw is completely hairless, and I wonder if he still has a baby face or if he has to shave every few days. He turns his head, silently asking me for more, and I take it as my cue to continue, while getting a little lost in his gaze.

“She’s been in remission three times now, but it returned every time. Eight months ago, she had another x-ray where they found another spot on her lung, and they treated her right away. Now she’s doing her last chemo and the doctors say it’s looking very hopeful. But I don’t wanna look too far ahead, you know?” I’ve gotten excited about my mom fully healing more than once, so this time I’m a bit more vigilant with my hopeful feelings.

He hums in agreement, softly nodding his head. “So you guys don’t have a car?”

I shake my head. “It broke down last year. We don’t have the funds to replace it. Not yet, anyway. When my mom gets better, I’m sure we will.”

“When is her next appointment?”

“Next Thursday at two.”

“You can borrow my truck.”

“Really?” I look at him with surprise. “Why would you do that? You don’t even know me.”

“You’re a good girl, and you can use all the help you can get, Charls. What else do I need to know?”

An affectionate expression takes over his face, and I’ve never felt more seen in my life. “I would take you myself, but I have detention the entire week. You can pick me up after?”

“Of course, you have detention,” I taunt.

“Gotta keep up my monthly quota,” he jokes, igniting a laugh from my chest.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” I beam, a bit stunned by his unexpected offer. He might look like trouble, but this only confirms my first impression of him. He’s a force to be reckoned with if you get on his bad side, but deep down, his heart is as gold as the sun.

“Wouldn’t your mom mind, though?” The relationship with his mother is all but good and the last thing I want is for him to get into trouble with her.

“Fuck her.” His disdain is audible, and for a brief moment, his mood is ripped to shreds, but as quickly as it’s there, it’s tossed away by another smoldering look.

“Right. Well, thank you. It saves me Uber money,” I tell him gratefully.

“Sure,” he drawls, as if it’s no big deal. A silence forms as we both look out the front window, completely content with just sitting here and keeping each other company.

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