Page 94 of Chasing Forever
“For going to you. For setting off this whole chain reaction. She went to you, that pissed me off, I confronted them, I pulled my endorsement for mayor. He’s already losing, according to him, and me not agreeing to endorse him as I always have in the past would be the final nail in the coffin. He wanted to punish my mom, and who gives a damn who gets hurt in the process? That’s how he works.”
She throws her arms around me, pressing her face into my neck. “I’m so sorry. How are you handling it?”
She draws back a little and studies my face as though she’s waiting for me to cry, or yell, or show anything. Honestly, I think I haven’t fully processed it, and maybe I won’t, but they weren’t my future. I was ready to cut them out regardless.
“This is why you’re home?”
I nod.
She kisses my jaw. “Brooks… I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”
I pull her into my lap, just wanting her near me. “You being here is enough.”
“But this… this has to be so hard to wrap your head around. It’s cruel and careless of him to divulge that truth in the middle of a fight.” She climbs off my lap, and I try to tug her back, but she paces, fire in her eyes. “How could they do this? Just drop that bomb in the middle of an argument like a toddler having a tantrum? I hate that I feel bad for your mom… but she didn’t deserve that either.”
She storms into the kitchen and continues unpacking, each item being slammed onto the counter.
“Lottie.” I place my hand on her wrist. “It’s not the spaghetti sauce’s fault.”
She puts up a hand. “Sorry. I’m okay. Just—processing, but I have no right to be the one who’s mad.” She turns and wraps her arms around my waist. “I’m good now.”
I lift her chin. “I appreciate your rage on my behalf. I chopped enough wood last night to start my own firewood company.”
“My rage doesn’t help you though.” She tightens her arms around me, burrowing her head in my chest.
“It does. It makes me feel like you care. Like you’re in this with me.” I kiss the top of her head and breathe in her scent.
She rests her chin on my chest, fingers combing through my hair. She watches me for a moment, looking deep into my eyes, and I know before she even says the words. “I love you, Brooks. I know I took my time admitting it, but I do.”
I smile wide as the weight on my shoulders eases, and something knits together in my chest. “About time.”
She punches me lightly in the stomach. “Shut up.”
We stand there a moment, wrapped up in one another. Although we’re not talking, I feel as though we’re on the same page. I don’t want to let her go.
Then I remember… “Didn’t you say you wanted to tell me something?”
She hesitates. “This was big enough news. Mine can wait.”
“I’d rather get everything out now.”
She unwinds herself from me. “Let me make you dinner. You have a lot to think about right now, and you need to deal with that. It’s a blow you weren’t prepared for, and I’m sure it’s going to take some time to figure out how you feel about it.”
“Lottie.” I walk toward her as she puts some items in the fridge. “It’s a shock for sure, but they aren’t good people. I was already kicking them out of my life. Sure, I haven’t fully processed it, but you and me, us, I need that to be good. So I’d really like it if you told me what you came here to say.”
I give her the opening to share with me what’s causing her distress, unsure if she’ll take it.
She pulls back, rests her hip against the fridge. “You won’t let this go, will you?”
I shake my head once.
“Can we walk and talk?”
Mack lifts his head at the word walk.
“We can go wherever you want.”
I hold out my hand, and she accepts it. For the first time, it feels as if we’re moving forward—together.
