Page 26 of True Honey
I looked over my shoulder from the door as August made his way inside and set his backpack on the bed. I looked at Silas who was leaning on the wall behind me with a distant, proud look on his face.
“You too,” he said, his gaze lingering.
He pointed to the room next to August’s.
When I opened the door, it was immediately clear that this room was the master. It was massive and it smelled faintly of the cologne Silas was wearing. Istepped inside, taking in the king size bed and clean white comforter. The row of windows along the back wall looked out to the back of the house. There was a dresser with a small lamp and a fluffy rug that looked like it would tickle the bottom of my feet.
“The dresser is empty, there’s a bathroom,” he said, and stepped into the doorframe behind me. I inhaled at his proximity, his chest against my back as he leaned over and extended his arm to show me. “Over there.”
I moved in the room just to create distance and ran my hand over the bed, the soft fabric so smooth under my fingertips. I turned as he wandered inside.
“I’m just down the hall. You’ll barely even notice me.”
“Thank you,” I said and he nodded.
“Did you put my number in your phone?” he asked me, clearly a little lost in the conversation and feeling nervous about everything. I nodded and he gave me a satisfied hum. “There’s a dinner for one of the coaches upstairs this evening. You and Auggie are more than welcome to come get some food.”
“Mom!” August appeared in the doorway, his hair messy and his face full of excitement. “There’s a projector screen in my room!”
I smiled at August. “That’s incredible,” I said, looking back to Silas as August returned to his room. “Really?”
“I swear it’s always been there,” he said. “Two days ago that was my home gym…” He smiled at me.
“You didn’t,” I sighed. “We could have shared.”
“You’re paying for two rooms,” Silas countered.I wasn’t paying for anything, I wanted to say but stayed quiet. “Just unpack, get comfortable… if there’s anything you or Auggie want that isn’t in the fridge there’s a little notepad…” he started to back away, giving me some space to breathe, “on the fridge…”
“Got it,” I said, with a nod.
“Dinner is at seven,” he added, clapping his hand on the doorframe.
“Seven,” I repeated back to him.
“If you need any help with the boxes…” he lingered, still staring at me as I shoved my hands into my pockets.
“I’ll text,” I said quietly. That was enough to finally send him on his way.
I waited until I heard the click of the main door before turning back to the room and looking it over. I hated the sticky feeling of my guilt but as I walked back to check on August it subsided and a smile formed on my face seeing him unpacking his backpack into the side table drawers by his new bed.
One little lie, just to give him a home.
I could do this. If it got too intense, I could always explain to August what was happening, but until then I would let him have a moment of bliss after years of struggle.
SHORE
Iset down the massive box on the island. “Did you order enough?” I asked Ella, who was arguing with Cael over how many chocolate chips belonged on the cupcakes as I returned from running a million errands for her.
“The guys are at practice which means they’re going to come back here hungry and it's a party,” Ella turned to me, tucking a few strands of blonde hair behind her ear. “It’s Arlo’s birthday…are you complaining right now?”
“Easy, Peachy,” Cael teased, “Silas is just grouchy ‘cause he’s broke.” He looked over his shoulder with mischief in those blue eyes.
“Wow, thank you for throwing me under the bus,” I snapped at him.
“What does that mean? What’s going on?” Ella cleaned her hands off on her cute little apron. I recognized it and my heart clenched a little at the old thing, it was Lorraine’s, the leather neckties and heavy jean fabric embroidered with wildflowers. We had bought it for her a few Christmases ago.
“I’m not broke,” I said, my eyes lifting to Cael as I helped Ella remove all the takeout containers from the boxes. She had ordered enough Italian food to feed the team twice over.
“Then what’s with the pretty redhead roommate and her son?” Cael asked.
