Page 83 of Filthy Little Secret

“I can take you.”

She places her hands on either side of the doorway. “Make my day.”

As I chuckle, she smiles too.

“There you go. That’s the Timmy I want to see right now. My adorable boy who’s fallen for an amazing guy.”

My cheeks warm.

“Oh, God. Did I make you blush, Timmy?”

“Shut it!” I turn away from her, but I know she can see my profile in the mirror.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re in love, and it’s so precious. I’m just happy you’re finally letting yourself have something for you.”

“You and me both.” I turn back to her.

She steps closer and runs her hands through my hair, eyeing it with care as she fixes it.

“There. That’s better. No, you’re going to go out and have some fun tonight, and you’re going to forget about the crazy old lady at home who’s been worried about you most of your life. You’re going to leave behind the past—those things that weren’t your fault.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t act like I don’t know what that talk was all about the other week. I know you haven’t gotten close to anyone in a long time, and it’s because you didn’t have the fairest of upbringings. Life isn’t fair, as I’m sure you’ve noticed with that and all this stuff with my cancer over the past year. But that’s why when something good comes along, you seize it and enjoy it as much as you possibly can. Because you never know when it might slip away from you.”

“Thank you, Nanna.”

“It wasn’t that awful was it?” she asks, her expression saddening.

“What?”

“Being here? Taking care of me? I meant that when I said if I thought I could find a way to get rid of you, I would. For your own sake.”

“It’s just ’cause I’m stronger and won’t listen,” I tease.

“No jokes right now, Timmy. I’m being serious. Has it been all that horrible having to put up with me all these years?”

I can tell she wants me to be honest, but I can also see the pain in her face. Like it will kill her to know that I’ve been unhappy for all these years.

“They haven’t been easy,” I say. “But I chose to be here because I love you, and I care about you. And being with you has meant the whole world to me because you’re the only reason I ever had for doing anything at all with my life.”

Her lips curl upward.

“Thank you for saying that,” she says before hugging me.

“Now, have fun and wear protection.”

“Nanna!”

She pulls away and shrugs. “Just trying to keep things safe.”

I finish getting ready and play some rummy with Nanna before I hear a knock at the door.

It’s him.

My man.

My beautiful man.

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