Page 77 of Chasing You

Kash shook his head. “I’m sorry it took all this for me to get my head out of my ass.”

At that, Adele burst into laughter and pulled away to look him in the eye. “You weren’t alone in head-ass syndrome. Besides, I wouldn’t have you any other way. I thought I made that clear.”

Kash grinned so hard his cheeks hurt. “You did. Now, hold me, yeah? I’m drifting, but I don’t want to be out to sea on my own anymore.”

Adele curled into him and held tight. “I’ll always be right here.”

Kash rose to consciousness sometime later. It felt like days had passed, but he knew it was probably less than a fewhours. It took him a second to realize what had woken him and another second for his fog to clear so he could make out what Gage and Adele were saying.

“…bothered if I sleep in here?”

“I think he’d prefer it,” Adele whispered. “Both of us are feeling a little shaken up from what happened.”

“Yeah. Uh…I think I’m still pretty freaked-out,” Gage admitted. The bed shook as Gage shuffled beneath the covers, and Kash didn’t want to deceive him, so he made a soft noise as he rolled over. “Oh shit, did I wake you?”

“I’m glad you did,” Kash told him. He turned onto his side all the way and draped an arm over Adele’s waist, reaching for Gage’s hand. “You okay?”

“I tried to fall asleep in the other room, but I woke up after like ten minutes,” Gage admitted. “I don’t want to be all up in your space though.”

Kash laughed. “I think this bed is big enough for everyone we know, if we wanted to get creative.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what that means, and I don’t want to,” Gage said. He was smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He moved a little closer to his dad. “Can I tell you both something?”

“Anything,” Adele promised.

“I think I’m gonna stay here.”

“At…at Frey’s?” Adele asked with a frown.

“No, like, here. In town. For school, I mean. I’m not ready to leave.”

Kash felt Adele’s body stiffen. “Gage, don’t let this one thing ruin you, okay? We were all terrified, but you’re okay. We all are. And it’ll get easier, I promise.”

“Trust me,” Kash cut in. “I know exactly what it’s like. I almost died at work, but I didn’t. And sometimes I still struggle, but I’m not letting that fear control me.”

Gage sighed. “That’s not what I meant.” He bit his lip so hard the skin turned white, and then he let it go and said, “I think I want to apply to be a firefighter.”

Kash felt Adele freeze completely. Gage had never shown interest, and Adele had never pushed the issue because while they did live in a small town, shit still happened. Today was proof of that. And he knew Adele couldn’t stomach the thought of his son being in danger.

“Gage…”

“I know what you’re going to say,” Gage interrupted. “But today was…it was a lot, and not in a bad way. I woke up partway through Kash carrying me out to the lawn, then I watched the guys roll up in the trucks, and even though they couldn’t save our house, the way they worked…” He trailed off, closing his eyes. “I want to be part of something like that.”

Adele swallowed so heavily Kash could hear it. “Okay. We can talk about it.”

Gage stiffened. “You know I can do what I want, right?”

“Yes, and I have never stopped you unless it was for your own good,” Adele countered. “You should know by now I’m not going to start that crap now.”

Gage looked properly chastised. “Sorry.”

Adele sighed and reached out, pulling his son close. “Can we talk about this another time? Let me bask in the fact that you’re here, that you’re fine, and that Kash agreed to marry me.”

There was a heavy pause, and then Gage sat up. “Wait, what!”

Adele grinned, and Kash hid his face against Adele’s back.

“Are you fucking serious!”

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