Page 313 of As The Shifter World Turns

He didn’t say if it was fine that I bought ice cream or that the book itself was fine.

I went over and sat beside him. “Hey. I missed you today.” Which wasn’t a lie. I missed him every day when we were apart. I was sickeningly in love like that. Even when we were fighting I wanted to be near him. He was mine and I was his. That’s just the way it was.

“Yeah.” He leaned into my side. “It was a craptastic day.”

“Anything I can do?” I wrapped my arm around him. “Aside from bringing ice cream.” I attempted to lighten the mood. Attempted and failed.

“Thank you. Alright. Is that what you were angling for?” He snapped at me and shook my arm off of his shoulder.

“No, honey. I was trying to be funny.” I leaned over and kissed the top of his head. “I just don’t like seeing you sad.”

“You’re fucking sad too.” He stood up and walked around the couch. “It’s not just me.”

“Maybe we need to see someone,” I said. The idea had been half brewing in my mind, but now that I was slapped in the face with the reality that was us falling apart it was becoming more of a solid plan.

“You want to get a third? I’m not enough for you?” He ran straight into the bedroom.

“Way to fuck things up,” I grumbled to myself and followed him in.

“Daire, that's not at all what I meant or even something I contemplated for half a second. I swear it.” I climbed in beside him on the bed and became the big spoon. “I just meant this is hard on both of us. And maybe we need to see a counselor or something.”

“You think I’m crazy. That’s what this is about, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t, but I didn’t think a lecture on taking care of our mental health being a good thing and that using terms like ‘crazy’ were a bad thing was what he needed to hear right now.

“No. I think we are both sad. Sadder than we’ve ever been, and sometimes talking to someone about that helps.”

He just let my words simmer, snuggling in closer. At least he wasn’t pushing me away again.

I’d thought he’d fallen asleep when he started speaking again. “See, that’s just it. I’m not sad. I mean, sometimes I am, but also I’m really happy. But then something little messes with my head. Like you eating cereal. I seriously thought about throwing your bowl across the room today because it was so loud.”

“I thought you were mad I was going to work early. I can avoid cereal.” It was easy enough to do. That wouldn’t solve anything, but why make things worse.

“Except maybe tomorrow it won’t bother me. I’m just in a weird place right now. I need time.”

“And if time doesn’t work?”

“Then I’ll see someone. I know you were suggesting it because of me. And that was sweet you offered to go too, but objectively, I’m the one making everything worse.” I hated that he felt that way… that I made him feel that way.

What I hated even more was that I wasn’t sure that he was wrong.

“I love you more than anything.” I pressed a kiss to his neck. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way. It wasn’t intentional. I promise to try and be less… awful.”

“You weren’t awful and I know you love me. Things are just hard right now. Maybe you could just hold me and I can take a nap? I’m really tired today.”

“Anything for you, my love. Anything for you.”

He fell almost instantly asleep and I followed shortly afterward. When we woke up, it was already dark out.

“I’m hungry.” Daire started to get up. “I think I’ll go grab that ice cream now.”

“Crap.” I rolled out of bed. “I never put it away. It’s probably a liquid mess.”

“Then it will be a milk shake.” He padded after me as I headed to the counter.

It was very much not milkshake material either. It was a gross container of tepid dairy stuff.

“I’ll take this to the dumpster and run and get some more. I’ll be back in a few.” I kissed his cheek and hurried off. My guess was they’d be closing soon.

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