Page 74 of Surviving the Merge
“That’s amazing, Pete!” He perfected a combination on his first try. “You’re much further along than I was at your age. I feel like I have nothing left to teach you.”
Pete’s smile fell, and I could kick myself for not thinking that statement through first.
“Are you ready to get rid of me, Mr. Justin?”
I could visibly see him retreating back into his shell, so I hurried to correct the situation. “No, Pete. That was just my stupid way of giving you a compliment. The truth is, I need you here. The whole group does.”
“You do?” He was skeptical.
“Come over here and sit with me for a second.” We dropped to the mats and faced one another. “I’m going to make you a promise, okay?” I waited until I had his answer before moving on.
“Ah, okay…” he said.
“I promise to always be honest with you, to always support you, and to always help in any way that I can in fulfilling your dreams.” I ducked my head to meet his eyes. “In return, I need you to promisemesomething. When you walk through those doors downstairs, you leave all the negative things anyone has ever said to you or about you outside. Any blame you’re carrying around for things that aren’t your fault, your anger, resentment, and whatever else. You leave that all outside. Because in here”—I opened my arms to encompass the whole building—“you’re free of all of it. This is your refuge. This is where you get to be who you are, where you areacceptedfor who you are. And pretty soon, it won’t matter what anyone says because the love you feel when you’re inthisplace will follow youeverywhere,” I said.
Pete blinked repeatedly, struggling to hold it together.
“You don’t have to hide from me, Pete.” Standing I towed a now-crying Pete up and into my arms. We stood like that for several minutes while he let it all out.
Stepping away from the embrace, Pete swiped at his puffy eyes, offering me a wet smile. “Thanks for...believing...in me.”
“Always, Pete. Always.”
20
Ineeded to wear a suit. That’s as far as Blake’s hint about our date went. I opted for a moss-green two-piece that he’d never seen on me before. Pushing through the revolving doors of the commercial high-rise that Julie’s office resided in, I latched eyes with Blake, and his widened more than a bit. I’d hit my mark.
“Wow. Green looks good on you, too. Why didn’t I ever think of that?” he asked in a low voice.
“No more gray?” I asked, drawing him down by his nape for a kiss. Our display disturbing the peace of the businessman and women entering and exiting the lobby.
Keeping his hands on my hips, he confirmed, “No more gray.”
Giggling like two schoolgirls, we headed for the elevators, getting on hand in hand.
“Is it just me, or does it feel different, now that we’re no longer married? We are no longer married, right?” I asked.
“The judgement was entered into the court record today. And you’re right. It feels like we’re courting. Like we’re starting over.”
“It does,” I agreed.
We were greeted in the waiting area by Julie herself. We passed Sarah’s empty desk as Julie ushered us into her office. “It didn’t seem fair to make Sarah come in on her day off purely because I decided to move my schedule around last minute. I’m playing assistant and doctor today. Please have a seat—and a cookie.” She pushed a tin containing her homemade treats toward us, and Blake and I scarfed a few down like the children that we were—to Julie’s obvious delight.
“Well, Justin, today is a rare sunny day, so at least I don’t have to worry about losing you to that dreadful window.”
Blake and I laughed when she shuddered on the word “dreadful.”
“You gentlemen look rather dapper. Let’s get started so you can continue with your plans.”
Grabbing her notepad and glasses from her desk, she settled into the tan wingback chair across from us.
“Let me ask you something, Blake.”
Blake nodded, and I sat up taller, her down-to-business tone stirring my concern.
“Have either you or Damon ever tried to act out attributes of the other?”
“Yes, we have.”
