Page 28 of Dirty Girl

13

Dylan

Jenson carriedme to bed despite my protests of being way too heavy. He snorted a laugh and told me not to be ridiculous. I’ll never admit how good that made me feel.

We’re lounging in bed and even though exhaustion weighs heavily on me, I can’t bear the thought of missing any time with him. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow and I’ll regret losing precious time with him if he leaves me.

We’ve been talking about trivial things, but I can tell he’s holding back. I am, too. I’m scared to broach the subject of where we go from here and I’m pretty sure he’s avoiding the same thing. It’s causing anxiety to burn under my skin when I think of all the possible topics he could be afraid to bring up.

He’s got every right to be mad at or even hate me, but he’s shown none of that. Actually, it’s been the opposite. I’ve apologized at least a dozen times and every time he just kisses my worries away. It’s sweet, but I feel like it’s an elephant in the room just waiting to trample everything.

“How did you end up here? Maine is a long way to drive.” His question is an expected one and thankfully not the one I’m dreading.

“I didn’t settle down right away. I stayed in several places, but nothing seemed to fit. I was heading further north, but I got a flat and ended up having to stay at the motel up the interstate.”

Jenson makes a disgruntled sound and I look up at him from my place against his chest. “That motel is dangerous. Not to mention disgusting.”

I laugh, not able to disagree one bit. It was terrifying. The clientele is sketchy at best and downright scary at worst. I not only locked the door, but I shoved the chair under the doorknob and slept with my pepper spray in hand. He’s not wrong about it being disgusting either. The roaches are the size of small dogs and the whole place smells like a mixture of body odor and urine.

“Trust me, that motel is the last place I’d ever choose to stay. It was the only place within fifty miles of where I broke down, though, so I didn’t have much choice. Anyway, the guy from the repair shop who came to fix my tire is from here and when I saw the town it instantly felt like home.” I immediately regret using that word when Jenson flinches as if I’d slapped him.

“It’s just that after being on the road for so long and not having any idea where I was going or what I was looking for, this place just felt good. The people were kind and welcoming, and the town itself is quiet and quaint.”

“It’s okay, love. I get it. You were starting a new life. It’s not unreasonable that you’d look for someplace that would feel like a real home.”

Sadness permeates the air and I hate how much hurt I’ve caused. I wish I’d picked up the phone months ago. So much wasted time.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” I confess. “Thank you for not giving up on me. I love you, Jenson.”

Those three little words fall from my lips so easily it feels right. The fear I’ve held onto is obliterated when I see Jenson’s reaction to my saying it for the first time. He looks like he just won the lottery. A huge smile spreads across his face showing off straight white teeth and the barest hint of a dimple through his scruff.

“I’ll never give up on you, Dylan,” he vows.

We both go quiet, finding peace in each other’s arms. There’s still so much to say and even though I fight it, sleep finally claims me.

I’m havingthe best dream of my life—Jenson came for me and confessed his love for me. He begged for my forgiveness which I readily gave him. He was so happy about the baby that he had tears in his eyes. And he made love to me. It’s that part of the dream that has my body heating up and never wanting it to end.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” Jenson’s voice breaks through my dream and I realize it wasn’t a dream at all. He’s actually here.

I stretch like a lazy cat, noting all the aches from my long day yesterday and the amazing way Jenson worked over my body last night. My pussy gets wet remembering how his thick cock felt deep inside me. Desire spikes through my body and I’m ready to jump him, but Jenson’s got other plans.

“Time to get up. We’re going to the diner for breakfast, then we need to talk about where we go from here.”

My heart pounds in both excitement and anxiety. The smile on his face hints at good things, but anything could happen.

“What can I getcha, hot stuff?” Pammy asks, flirting with Jenson. I barely suppress a laugh at the look Jenson gives her. Pammy’s about seventy and feisty as can be. She’s one of the reasons I fell in love with this town. He’s sitting there gawking at her, so I step in and order for the both of us.

“We’ll have two specials with one side of gravy. He’ll have a coffee, black, and I would like orange juice, please.”

“You got it, toots.” Pammy shuffles off.

Jenson laughs at her retreating back. “She’s something.”

“Yeah, she’s great.”

“Do you have many friends here?” The question makes my heart ache because I already know I’ll be heading back to California whenever Jenson leaves—no matter if we are together or not. Having him here after being apart for all this time makes me realize how truly alone I’ve been. Even with Nora and Olive, I still haven’t felt like I truly belong.

“Olive, from the library, and Nora.” I chuckle remembering how Nora basically forced her way into my life. “When I first came to town, I made a doctor’s appointment. I was still at that shitty motel, so I put it down as my temporary address. Nora, Dr. Hastings’ receptionist and wife, was appalled. After my appointment, she insisted that I look at their rental house. From there, she took me under her wing.”

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