Page 48 of Healing You
“I don't know,” Cam interrupted. “All I know is that unless one of us goes to get him, he won't make it in time for the party.”
And Ma would be crushed. “Okay, Cam. Don't worry about this, I got it. Text me his flight information and I'll be there at five.”
Steve didn't wait for his brother to respond and simply hung up, tossing the phone onto the bed. There went his romantic evening with Yvonne. There went the plan to pick her up at her door, a fistful of sunflowers in hand. There went his attempt at their first big evening out together. He'd wanted it to be special; he'd wanted to start the night off with a bang, and hopefully end it the same way.
“What was that about?” Steve looked up to find Yvonne leaning in his doorway, his oversized T-shirt the only thing draping over her svelte, muscled curves, and a toothbrush dangling from her lips.
“Cam needs me to pick up Noah from the airport. Tonight. Right before the party.”
She popped the toothbrush out of her mouth, wiping a stray bit of toothpaste from her bottom lip. “Oh.” Then with a shrug, she added, “Okay.” As though it wasn't a big deal. And maybe to her it wasn't. Because she didn't have plans like he had.
She slipped back into the bathroom, rinsing her toothbrush, and Steve followed her in. “Not ideal, but would you want to ride to Logan airport and back with me? Then we could go right to the party from there.”
She thought that over for a minute, then shook her head. “I need to give Daisy her medicine. And Kyra and I have plans to hang out this afternoon. I'll just meet you at the party.” She shrugged. “It's not a big deal.”
“Could you get a ride with Kyra instead of driving?” His hand fell to her waist and he circled his thumb over her hip.
“Why?”
“Because then we'd have two cars. And I really wanted to take you home—officially—tonight.”
“Mm, I like that,” she said, close enough to share air with him and staring up into his eyes.
Something about the look in her eyes resonated in the depths of Steve's body. Like he was important to her. And not just because they had history or nostalgia, though he had no doubt that was part of it. It was more than that. Yes, they were the same people they once were in high school, and yet they were also so, so different. It was like falling in love with someone you knew from a past life and yet still got to discover all new aspects of their personality. And he saw that same feeling in her eyes, even if she didn't recognize it yet. She liked him. Maybe she could even love him again. The thought of that reached deep inside of him and squeezed his heart.
“And... would you be able to let Molly out right before the party? I'll be gone all afternoon driving to Logan—”
Yvonne pressed her fingers to his lips to quiet him. “Of course. Don't feel weird asking me for help. Do you wanna leave your key under a rock or something?”
Steve linked her hand in his and pulled her toward the kitchen. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a spare key. “Here. Have it. Keep it. I should probably have it with someone other than Ma anyway.”
“Really? Isn't that... I don't know. Isn't it a little soon? It's only been a few of weeks—”
“A few weeks and thirteen years,” he added, his heart kicking up a notch. Fuck. He didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for. He’d only just got her back. “You know what, you're right. Use it tonight, you can leave it on the counter when you're done.” Steve turned quickly, escaping her gaze. Only, Yvonne was faster and caught him around the waist, pulling his attention back to her.
“Maybe I'll just keep it... in case you lose yours. You have other copies too?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I do.” She lifted onto her toes, brushing her lips gently across his. The electricity from her kiss buzzed through his body, skating across his heart. “One more favor?”
She gave an exaggerated sigh, dropping down to flat-footed once more. “My God, you are needy today.”
As she tried to pull back, Steve held strong, his arm clasped around her waist and tugged her torso flush against his. He smoothed his lips across her ear, his day-old stubble scraping her skin and her hair clung to the scruff. “Tonight,” he said, skimming gentle fingers up her bare thigh and under the hem of his shirt she was wearing. She jumped as he reached her slick, wet folds, parting her and entering one finger smoothly inside. “I want you wearing nothing beneath your dress.”
2 2
T hat afternoon, Yvonne sat on her plush sofa with Kyra beside her, Steve's house key resting on her coffee table like some sort of holy relic she was too afraid to touch. “He gave you his key ,” Kyra said for, like, the millionth time. “Sure as shit did.”
“The guy who hasn't been seen on a date in thirteen years gave you exclusive access to his house?”
From his bed in the corner, Gatsby sneezed, startling a sleeping Daisy beside him awake. “Well, not exclusive. His mother has a key, too.”
Kyra gave an eye roll to show her opinion of that. “Yeah, I'm pretending that's not true. Let's hope he's not one of those guys who brings his dirty laundry to his mommy's house for her to do.”
His home was very organized. Clean. His dress pants were pressed with a crease down the middle of his pant leg and all hung in a line from lightest to darkest. That wasn't the kind of man who would let his mommy do his laundry. But Steve had always been particular about his things. Even when he was a party boy, he was an organized one. “I doubt that.”
“Well, what are you wearing tonight?”
Yvonne shrugged, falling back onto her sofa and running hand over Ruckus' head as he slept on the floor by her feet. “I dunno. After Jonah and I broke up, I donated almost all of the fancy clothes I had.”
