Page 117 of January

“She’s part of it, yeah, but not all of it, and not even the biggest part.”

“And if you two break up, you’d still want to live here? Because, Kyle, I get that you like her a lot, but you just got together, and if you move here, you’d movehere. Melinda is all tied up in this city for you. You’d see her everywhere.”

“I know,” Kyle replied.

“And you’re not worried about that?”

“No,” she said definitively. “I’m in love with her, Jolie.”

Jolie’s eyebrow lifted as she chewed.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. It’s always possible that things could end between us, but I don’t see that happening.”

“Most people don’t see the end coming, Kyle.”

“I know. I just mean that I can see us together for the long haul. I see Melinda at your wedding with me.”

“When amIgetting married, exactly?” Jolie asked.

“Someday,” Kyle replied. “Ihopesomeday because I know that’s what you want: marriage and kids. And I can see Melinda there with me, babysitting and feeding them tons of junk food before we hand them back off to you.”

“First of all, bitch. Second of all, that’s a lot, Ky. You’ve never talked about someone like this before.”

“I’ve never felt it before.” She shrugged a shoulder.

“You trust it?”

Kyle nodded.

“Okay. Well, it’syourlife. I just love you, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I know. I love you, too.”

“So, you’re leaving me with Mom?” Jolie asked.

“No. You could move here, too. I just don’t think you want to.”

“I don’t. It’s nice for a visit, but not where I want to stay forever.”

“So, you’ll visit me?”

“A few times, at least, before I have all these kids you see in my future so I can have some actual fun here.”

Kyle laughed and said, “I’ll have to go back to get my stuff. I was thinking about maybe taking Mel with me.”

“Don’t, Ky.”

“No?”

“Our life up there isn’t exactly simple. I’ll help you pack up, and if you want, I’ll take a few days off, and we can drive your car down here together. I’ll fly back up when it’s time for me to go. It can be a sister road trip since we won’t be seeing each other all the time anymore. Then, leave all that complicated mess up there and start over with Melinda down here.”

“I guess,” Kyle said. “I’m just that lame person now who doesn’t want to be without her for even a few days.”

“I wondered when that would happen for you.” Jolie smiled. “She’s great, Ky.”

“She is, yeah.” Kyle smiled back as the coffee maker on the counter began to gurgle.

“So… Mom said she met her.”

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