Page 38 of Just Enough

“What should I have done?” he asked me. “I was an alcoholic. What right did I have to stop you from doing whatever you wanted?”

“You have a seriously messed up way of thinking,” I told him.

He mocked me, “Gee, thanks.” We were quiet a second as we played. “How’s your mom?”

I squinted my eyes at him. “She’s good. Why?”

“Can’t I ask if she’s doing good?” He paused several seconds. “You should invite her over.”

I snorted. “Yeah, I don’t think Sarah would like that.”

That made him smirk. “Why? She worried I’ll steal my wife back?”

“Ex-wife,” I corrected him.

There was a knock on the door, and I jumped up so quickly my chair fell backward. Dad muttered, “Jesus, Emily, you’re acting more like your lover is back from the army.”

I gave him a scathing look. “Why you gotta ruin my mood?”

“When you gonna leave Roger?” he surprised me by saying.

I shook my head at him as I hurried to the front door. I opened it and came face to face with Benjamin.

I smiled. No, I beamed at him.

My favorite person. That was my favorite face again. Instead of smiling back, he pushed me inside and shut the door. “What are you doing?”

“I parked over here so that my mom wouldn’t know I was here.”

“Why?” I asked him.

Then he finally looked down and smiled at me sheepishly. “Because she’d hog me all to herself, and you wouldn’t get to see me.”

I nodded. “You’re right.” I patted his shoulder. “You did well.”

He laughed, then stopped as we stared at each other. He had slight stubble on his cheeks that I’d never seen on him before. His dark eyes were slanted to perfection behind his glasses and his dark hair was practically gone it was so short now. But he looked amazing.

Very good-looking.

“Damn, my best friend is hot,” I blurted out, and we both widened our eyes for a minute at my outburst before we laughed.

“Come here,” he said while scooping me up for a bear hug.

I buried my nose in the same place on his chest every time he hugged me. I should call it my spot. I breathed him in, and the warmth that wrapped around my bones let me know how much I missed him.

“Hey Benjamin,” Dad stepped out of the kitchen. We released each other, and I glanced back at Dad. He was watching us with interest.

“Good to see you, Nolan.” Benjamin smiled.

“Where’s your lady?” Dad asked him. I knew what Dad was up to, so I glared at him.

“We broke up.”

Dad didn’t look surprised, instead, his eyes twinkled. “Oh. Well, I hate to hear that.”

“Let’s go somewhere,” I said to Benjamin.

“Where do you want to go?” I loved that he didn’t protest, instead, he asked me where. Yes, this was my Benjamin.

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