Page 5 of Somewhere We Belong

“You should date that hunky man,” Blanche said, as she sat down in my chair. “That baby of yours…”

“I suggest you don’t finish that sentence, Blanche, or next week you will find I will be out on Monday,” I said, taking out her curlers. “Mind your business.”

“I’m just looking out for you,” she huffed. “He’s great with Sol.

“Uh huh,” I said, taking the last curler out.

Blanche was my last client of the day before I picked up Sol from summer camp. I grabbed my things, and walked out to my car a little earlier than usual. We needed a few things from the grocery store so it was perfect timing.

I threw my bags into my beat-up car, starting it so that I could lower these damn windows, but all I heard was clicking.

Fuck no.

I turned the key again and all I heard was clicking. My heart sank as I tried one more time with the damn result.

“Fuck,” I said, leaning my head on the steering wheel.

This was the last thing I needed when I had just paid a deposit on a roof repair and Sol’s summer camp. I took a deep breath to tamper the urge to cry, but my tears slid down my cheeks. I was giving myself five minutes to break down before I figured out what to do next because I had run out of choices.

2

theodore

All my lifeI had struggled talking to people. I stammered, I tapped my fingers excessively, I missed social cues, and I didn’t get a lot of what people were saying. As I grew older, and once I learned of my Neurodivergent diagnosis, it got a little easier, I learned my tapping was called stimming and I could carry on a conversation for maybe a few minutes, but with people I wasn’t comfortable with, it was difficult.

Talking to Nova was especially hard; I floundered like I was a teenage boy talking to a girl for the first time. She made me forget everything I had learned about carrying a conversation and pretty much everything else. My mind was completely blank, the only concepts I had retained were not to stare and not to look mad.

Today was the day I thought I could speak to her, tell her Atlas was coming home and invite her and her daughter over for dinner, but I choked. Getting a haircut was stressful enough for me and wanting to talk to her just made me clam up.

I left the salon feeling defeated, almost turning around to go back in and figuring out a way to talk to her, but I knew I would freeze up again. It had taken me forever to work up the courage to go to the salon in the first place.

Taking a deep breath, I let that notion go, and walked across the street to the local mechanic shop. It had grown over the past few years. My boyfriend Colt worked here on occasion, usually when bikes needed to be serviced. That was his preferred work, but occasionally when they needed help, he came in to work on cars. He was also essential to the ranch, fixing stuff for me so I didn't have to pay someone an exorbitant amount of money.

The door was opened to the garage showing two bikes side by side and a man without his shirt showcasing his broad shoulders. He had a plethora of tattoos that looked like they danced when he moved, with a big scar on his lower back and a scowl that said not to talk to him. I smiled as I walked to him making noise so he knew I was coming. He didn’t know about the impromptu haircut, and I was curious how he would react.

“Bill, I’m almost done,” he snapped, the irritation loud in his voice.

“Chop, chop,” I said, trying to tease him, but wondered if I had missed the mark.

He turned around quickly with a look that could kill, except I knew how much of a softy he was. Colt Ramirez was an asshole to everyone else, but Atlas and I, we had him wrapped around our fingers.

“Holy shit” His eyes were wide and for a moment I wondered if I had made the wrong decision.

I randomly put my hand through my hair, feeling self-conscious and weird that I could no longer run my hands through my long hair. Maybe I had made too rash of a decision.

“It’s a good ‘Holy shit’,” he said, standing up, studying me. “Damn, hot stuff, you might make my boyfriend jealous.”

“Atlas doesn’t come in for a few days and I think?—”

“I was joking, you,” he said, threading a hand through my hair, stopping at my neck and pulling me in for a quick kiss.

It ended too quickly as I chased his lips. He gave me a chaste kiss before looking me over again.

“You look amazing, Theo,” he said with heat in his gaze.

At least I think that’s what it was. Over the years I had been able to pick up on when he was turned on, but sometimes I wasn’t always spot on.

“Thanks,” I said, feeling my blush hit my ears.

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