Page 93 of Bad Luck Club

She’d like to think so, but at the same time she knew any recovery he did had to be for himself, on his terms. Otherwise it wouldn’t work.

“This is Lee,” she said, swinging their joined hands up playfully. “This is my boyfriend.”

She glanced up to see the look in his eye, wondering if he’d want her to backpedal the label, especially since they still didn’t know what the future held for them, but there was nothing on his face but joy. Joy and pride.

Her mother rushed forward and wrapped them both into a hug. “Blue has never brought a man home to me before,” she gushed.

Technically, it was true. Her mother had met Remy, but only on her visits to Pennsylvania. Which had become more and more infrequent given Remy had made it very clear that she and her chaos weren’t welcome. He’d come home once while Blue and her mom were painting, both of them speckled with paint as they sipped wine and listened to a soundtrack of ocean sounds, giddy from being together and sharing their art. And one look from him had shriveled her joy to a raisin.

Lee presented her mom with the chocolates, his ears turning a delightful pink at her outsized praise, and they sat down to eat breakfast. Blue had only gotten one breakfast sandwich, for her mom, but she’d bought extra croissants, figuring she could bring some home for Adalia as a thank-you for helping with Buford and her yoga class, so there was plenty of food for all of them. She’d get Addy a different gift.

Given Steve’s presence, Blue wasn’t sure how much to say about the text, about her worry, but it turned out she didn’t need to say anything. Her mom did.

“I’m sorry to have interrupted.” She gestured to them, and Lee’s cheeks went slightly pink again, prompting Blue to squeeze his leg under the table. “I didn’t mean for you to drop everything and come over, but you expressed concern to me last night, and I didn’t respond like I should have. I wanted to let you know that I’m taking care of it this time. That you don’t have to worry about me.” She glanced at Steve before shifting her gaze back to Blue. “Steve has been so supportive, but I want you to know that I would have gone to the doctor anyway. I’ve been too much of a burden on you—”

“No, Mom, I—”

Her mother lifted a hand, silencing her. “Iknow. And I wantyouto know it’s not going to happen anymore. I won’t let it. I want you to be free to live your life without fear, Blue. You deserve it.”

It wasn’t something she could promise. Blue knew that her control over the situation, over her condition, was always going to be tenuous, ever-changing as a river, but this was the first time she’d said anything like this. It was also the first time she’d preemptively sought out help rather than after everything had fallen apart. And that was something.

That was everything.

So she simply nodded.

Her mother’s gaze skipped to Lee and held. “Thank you,” she said. “For bringing my daughter here.”

“Of course,” he said, his tone emphatic. “I was grateful for the chance to meet you. Blue’s told me a lot.”

Her mom laughed so hard she snorted with it. “Oh goodness. That can’t be good.”

“But it is,” he insisted, his hand finding Blue’s on his thigh. The warmth seeped into her, pairing with the warmth already suffusing her chest. “If it weren’t for you, she wouldn’t be the person she is. My father was a hard man too, so I know. The only chance I had at being half a person was because of my mother. My dad was always talking about what it meant to be a man, but she was the one who showed me.”

He ran his free hand through his hair, rumpling it further rather than straightening it. “It took me a long time to learn the truth, but Blue was smart enough to listen toyou. Nobody could contain her.” Blue’s heart swelled to bursting as he glanced around the apartment, taking in her mother’s paintings, the single red wall, now covered in a mural of wide-eyed woodland creatures. “And I can see where she got her talent.”

Steve did a slow clap, but there was a grin on his face. “Look at you, showing me up. Now, I’m going to have to carve her an ice sculpture after dinner to stand half a chance at creating an impression.”

“It’s a good thing you know how,” her mom said with a wink. Then she turned back to Lee. “I think I like you.”

“Good,” he said, shifting a little to look at Blue, “because I have no intention of going anywhere.”

* * *

Those were the kind of words that stuck.

I have no intention of going anywhere.

They’d both liked Steve, a lot, and before they’d left, Lee had suggested that they all get together for brunch again soon, proposing that next time they could do it in Asheville. He’d clearly meant it.

But if he got that job, it could change everything. He wouldn’t want to stay.

Or would he? Because she’d watched Lee at the bar the previous night, before the end of his contest, and she’d seen every indication that he loved what he was doing. When he was talking about Buchanan beer, about his family, he was dynamic. He was alive. He was selling something hebelievedin. That was the difference between the Lee she saw now and the lost man who’d thrown up on her shoes. No, that wasn’t the only difference.

This thing between them, this web of connectivity, only kept tightening, and instead of making her feel trapped, it brought her joy. Being involved with someone who knew you, who liked the real you—it was freeing, and it was clear they both felt it.

The drive home went by in a blur, both of them talking until their throats were sore, yet they never seemed to run out of things to say.

Then suddenly, startlingly, they were parked outside of her house, and it was time to leave him. She wasn’t ready, but he had work to do, and she had to shower Buford with love before heading to the studio.

---