Page 35 of If I See You Again
My eyes widened as I turned to look at David. Out of the many times we’d been over this, it was the first time he’d actually looked irritated.
“What do you mean?” Now it was my turn.
“Your cousin is a dick and people have relationships like ours all the time. We met before you knew what I did. That means something.”
“But you hired me after we slept together.”
The silence stretched.
The muscles in David’s jaw bunched and jumped as he continued to stare me down. When he finally looked away, I didn’t feel relieved. All I wanted was for him to turn back, with all that fire and determination in his eyes, wrap me in his arms, and tell me it would all be okay. We’d make it work.
“Malcolm, it’s tricky. I get that. You’re worth it to me, but I don’t know how else to reassure you of that. I’ve never had anyone make me want to fight for it before, but you do.”
And there it was. There was the look I was waiting for. The way his soul reached for mine when he turned back to me made me regret ever making him feel like crap. David was worth the risk. Iknewthat. He was everything and then some.
The moment, however, was short-lived.
“Boys?”
We both turned as my mother stood in the doorway to the kitchen. She still wore her apron from when we’d cooked the meal everyone had abandoned.
I cleared my throat before standing from the table, grabbing the napkin that was in my lap, and setting it over my plate. “Yes? Is there something I can help with?”
Mom gave me a tight smile before shaking her head. “No. I just wanted to make sure you two were okay. Everyone is out in the backyard having a cocktail. You’re welcome to join us before I serve up dessert.”
David stood behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder. In the past, the move would have made me nervous and squirmy, but after the emotional moment we’d just had… I wanted the connection.
“Uh, yeah, not a problem.” My voice cracked just a little, but I didn’t miss my mother’s eyes trailing David’s hand, currently sliding down my arm until our fingers laced together.
There was something simple about the connection, the feel of his palm against mine. My heart didn’t feel like it was trying to escape my chest anymore, or like the world would collapse because Stew had said something stupid—again. Most of the family knew to ignore him. We expected it, though that never made it any easier.
My heart was still beating a mile a minute by the time we made it to the backyard. No one even looked up when David and I walked out the sliding door, but it didn’t stop my brain from wandering. If Stew felt that way, surely other people would as well.
David’s hand squeezed mine, as if sensing my racing thoughts. It was strange how the simple maneuver had a way of settling me. Mom handed each of us a martini glass that we took withour free hands before we joined everyone else. She’d been so excited to try this new recipe for a pumpkin pie martini, and the first sip…gah! It was perfection. You could taste everything from the pumpkin to the cloves, right down to the crust. It was wild how all of it culminated in a delicious drink.
Marisa moved to my side, bumping my shoulder and almost making me spill a little of my drink.
“For what it’s worth. I really like this guy. Screw whatever my brother has to say about things.”
It made me smile as I took another sip. No one else attempted to say anything, and I kept hold of David’s hand. There was a part of me that felt like if I let go, he’d disappear into the crowd. It was stupid. This was my family. It didn’t change the fact that suddenly I was terrified of losing him.
Chapter 26
David
Just like that… the holiday was over. The day before had ended with a lot of anxiety on Malcolm’s part. Not that I could blame him. His family had been pleasant, and outside of the one inappropriate question from his cousin, the day had gone pretty well.
I sat on the edge of the bed as Malcolm moved around the room, shoving odds and ends into his suitcase. Considering that we’d only been there for a few days, he’d spread himself out. Then again, it was his family home, and it was easy to get used to being in such a familiar space.
My phone vibrated in my hand again, and I opened it to find another message from Audrey.
Audrey: Meeting the family? Really? That’s a big step.
I had to fight back the laugh so that Malcolm didn’t wonder what I was up to.
Me: It wasn’t that big of a deal. We spent the last few days dancing around what this is. He’s still insisting that we’re nothing more than clients. Hard to do when we’ve been as close as we have.
The bed bounced next to me as Malcolm set his suitcase down. “I think that’s everything… I’m never sure. Without fail, I always forget something. And it’s always something stupid like a sock or a pair of underwear…” And he was off again, wandering around the room, lifting odd things, looking for anything he’d missed. It’d taken me a whole ten minutes to pack my things. I didn’t spread out much, even at home. It was easier to keep things in a small, compact place.
