Page 63 of The Jorogumo

"Mom?" I asked, and she sighed deeply, as if we'd been in some sort of contest to see who could stay quiet the longest. "Haruto's here, so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"He's...there?"

"Yeah, it's my break, and he brought me lunch," I said, a smile curving my lips as I met his eyes. He winked at me, and I followed him to the back office as my mom grumbled something I didn't catch.

"Did you say something?"

"I was saying that if you wanted someone to bring you lunch, you could've dated a woman just as easily. Why would you pick a man? Why make things harder for yourself?"

I snorted. "Harder for me or for you? I love Haruto because he's amazing and he understands me like no one else, like my own parents clearly never have, and not because he's a man. I'm tired of telling you the same thing again and again. Please don't call me until you're ready to accept me, all of me, instead of only the parts that suit you."

I ended the call, throwing my phone onto the couch and wishing I could slam it into the wall instead. She did this every single fucking time.

Strong arms circled my waist, and I slumped into Haruto, tucking my face into the crook of his neck as I clung to him. Fuck, he was so strong and steady. Dependable. Ihadn't realized that was what I needed until I met him, and now I couldn't imagine living without him. Would I even be able to survive without him anymore?

"I love you, sweetheart, and you're perfect exactly as you are."

I hadn't realized I needed to hear something like that until he said it, and the words washed over me like a balm, soothing the sting of my mother's words, of her expectations.

"Thank you," I murmured against his skin, clinging to him, and for a few minutes, he just stood there, letting me draw support from him as he rubbed my back.

"Come on," he said after a few minutes, pulling back despite my protests. "Your food is getting cold, and you need to eat. We can cuddle after."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Yeah, I didn't need people in my life who cared more about looking good than my happiness. As long as I had Haruto and my new friends at the Sanctuary—and Diego—they were all the family I needed.

Twenty-Three

Haruto

It'd been a monthsince Liam moved in with me, and I couldn't be happier. We'd settled into a routine quite easily, and I loved our days together.

We woke up with Liam's alarm—except on his days off, when we got to sleep in—and shared a few lazy kisses before he got ready for work.

I walked him to the Sanctuary exit, and gave him a goodbye kiss. Then I had breakfast, did my daily chores, and spent some time reading before taking our lunch to the shop so we could eat together.

After lunch, sometimes I'd stay at the shop with Liam—now that I had a steady supply of powerfrom his desire, I didn't need the wheelchair—and other times I'd return to the Sanctuary and spend time with our friends.

Liam would come home after work, and then we'd have dinner with everyone before retreating home, where we'd curl up on the hammock and watch a movie or show together, or just chat about our day.

More often than not, things would lead to kissing, and then I'd drive Liam wild and tire him out with an orgasm, after which he'd curl up around me and fall asleep. Some days, I followed him into sleep, and other times I'd read for a while before sleeping.

The next day, we'd wake up and do it all over again.

I'd never imagined I would get to live like this, to have a life so full of joy and contentment.

Liam was an amazing partner. A kind, generous, sweet man who was happy as long as the people he loved were happy. I'd learned quite a few things since I met him, including how to be a better friend to the residents of the Sanctuary.

I'd spent a lot of time cooped up in my house before I met Liam, but these days, I was rarely home on my own.

It wouldn't be right to say that Liam had changed me, but he had helped me become a better version of myself. Watching him be so open and friendly toward complete strangers had shown me that it didn't have to be a scary thing. It'd helped me open up to the people who'd already considered me a friend.

"What are you thinking about?" Liam asked, and I glanced over at him with a smile. We were in his shop, seated behind the counter as we read and just enjoyed each other's company. He must've noticed I'd been staring at the same page for a while.

"You. Me. Us. How happy I am," I said with a shrug, making himgrin.

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