Page 75 of Just a Distraction

I don’t know how this is going to work or what will happen. But I do know that a world with the possibility of Rose in it is much better than a world without that possibility at all.

And I’m not going down without a fight.

We end the date by picking up Callum. Sophie and Oliver say he did great. He falls asleep in his car seat on the way home andI help her carry him in. I carefully change his diaper, so as to not wake him, and put him in his crib.

I walk to the door. I’d love to stay and hang out with her more, but I know she was tired going into the date. I have to prove to Rose that I’m in this for the long haul, and part of that means being willing to say goodbye to her at the end of the night.

“Who’s the woman?” Benson asks when I arrive at the suite a little before ten p.m.

“I’m that obvious, huh?”

Benson chuckles and closes the book he’s been reading, resting it in his lap. He’s wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. “Sebastian might have alluded to you dating someone. But yeah. It’s not hard to see it.”

“The family saw it when I first met her several months ago. I guess I’m bad at hiding it.”

“Hey, no judgements from me. When I met my wife, I drove a delivery truck across the country for her, on a whim, just because I heard she needed some help with it. She didn’t even come. It was just me and some other dude I didn’t know. But you can bet I volunteered so fast because I was completely into her. We’ve all been a little crazy over love.”

I shake my head and smile, sinking down into the sofa across from him. Yeah, I’m tired and should go to bed, but I’m still buzzing from being with Rose.

“So you’re referring to Dax and Indie’s mom?”

Benson bunches up his mouth before responding. “Yep. She was the love of my life, until her life took her in another direction.” The heaviness over his expression is palpable. “But that’s a story for another time. Tell me about yours.”

“I wish I could say she was mine, but it’s not exactly like that. She doesn’t want to get serious with anyone. She’s going to nursing school in North Carolina in the fall.”

“Dang. That’s too bad. Long distance relationships are hard. I’m not saying you shouldn’t attempt them, but they’re hard.”

“I know. I feel like it doesn’t matter how hard it will be, I still want to do it. I want to figure out how to make it work somehow.”

“If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”

“You sound like that singer.”

Benson laughs with his head dropping back and then starts to sing Bebe Rexha’s tune. He has a good singing voice.

After a couple of lines of the chorus, he tilts his head to one side. “Hey thanks again for letting me stay here for a little while. I’m signing a lease on a place in Denver tomorrow, but I can’t move in for another couple of weeks.”

“Oh, it’s been great. And . . .” I point to his stack of books. “I’m just happy to have someone in the family to talk to about the fantasy genre.”

“You a fantasy junkie, too?” Benson asks, his eyes wide.

“Through and through. No one else in the family gets that. I’ve gotten made fun of for my reading choices for as long as I can remember.”

“What was your gateway? Mine wasThe Blue Swordby Robin McKinley in sixth grade.”

“I read that, too. But it wasn’t my first. I read some of Ursula Le Guin’s stuff before that, andRedwalland Tamora Pierce’s stuff. I just couldn’t think of anything else.” I realize, with a start, that I could be describing my feelings for Rose. Everything about her fills up my entire consciousness. I go all in when I find something I love, or someone I love.

“My kids are readingRedwallright now. Their mom and stepdad are doing a family read of it.” His expression falls again.

“It’s such a classic. Have you ever thought of trying your hand at writing fantasy?” Why would I ask him that? It’s like I want to divulge my secret.

“Writing it? Nah. I’m not that creative. I’m more of a computers guy. I like reading science fiction, too.”

“Sci-Fi, huh? I just picked up a copy ofThe Sea of Tranquilitybut haven’t had the time to crack it open yet.”

I really want to read it. But between trying to get the next installment ofZehmaup, working for Sebastian, and spending as much time as possible with Rose, I haven’t had a chance.

It’s okay, though. I know sacrifices have to be made.

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