Page 61 of Feuds and Interludes
My heart bottomed out. Sweet Boone. He was so sad, and I had no idea if I could be enough for him, but dammit I was going to give it my all.
We were mostly quiet the rest of the drive home. He’d queued up more similar songs, many lesser-known songs that were brilliant. How did I not know we vibed so well together? How had he been under my nose this whole time, and I was too busy letting my ego keep him in a blind spot?
No more. My eyes were open. My heart was ready.
I parked the van and turned to find him snoozing in the seat, his knees pulled up to his chest. Like a child curling up for safety.
I tried to open and shut my door quietly, and when I opened his, he sat up with a start, letting his legs down as he looked around, confused.
“Come here,” I said, ready to carry him.
He smiled sleepily. “Thanks for driving.” He held my hand as he stepped down and came to me as I pulled him in close. “Stay with me?”
“I was hoping you’d ask,” I answered, kissing his forehead. Together we climbed the steps to the lodge, and then the stairs to his room. At his door, he unlocked it and stepped inside. He pulled his clothes off and climbed into bed with his back to me.
He’d told the truth. He was sans boxers.
I stripped down to mine, crawled in next to him and touched his back.
“Spoon, please?”
“I was hoping you’d ask,” I said again. I curled up to his body and wrapped my arms around him, loving how he snuggled against me and sighed.
“Shane?”
“Yeah, babe?” I nuzzled the back of his neck through his hair and sighed happily.
He didn’t answer right away, as if he was trying to think of the right thing to say.
“I don’t know why you’re still here, but I’m so fucking grateful it scares me.”
“Get used to it.” I felt the pull of sleep and kissed his shoulder before settling in to what had become my favorite place.
He exhaled a shaky breath and whispered so low, I’m not sure he intended me to hear. “I don’t know if I can.”
Twenty-Two
Boone
I was grateful the next morning that Shane was gone before I woke up. He left a note saying he’d gone to the gym and to text him when I wanted him to come work on the song. He signed it with a little heart that looked a little squiggly, as if Shane wasn’t used to drawing them. So cute. It was just as well. I needed the space to gather my wits.
The previous night had been a trainwreck.
Our grandparents were shacking up.
They were engaged.
I needed to leave the nest, which had been the only place I’d ever felt safe in my life.
I needed to grow the fuck up about my new normal and stop pretending like it wasn’t happening.
I’d been so afraid once I’d realized in the bathroom at the restaurant that my blood sugar had gone so low I was about to keel over, but then Shane was there with juice and the comfort of his embrace. The doctor had warned me that until we got things under control, I could experience something called dysglycemia,and last night I’d realized that it could hit when I was least prepared to handle it alone.
I had to be ready to ask for and receive help from the people I trusted.
That’s why I decided I needed to let the twins in on what was going on.
“I hate everything.”
