Page 19 of Holding On to a Hero
“You can’t tell me.” She sounded it out slowly. “Youcan’ttell me. Now why—” The sudden intake of air told me she’d figured it out. “No way. No fucking way!”
“Uh, it’s notexactlylike you’re thinking.” I turned back toward the closet. Then I couldn’t help myself. “But you’re really close,” I whispered.
Ally’s squeal cut through my bedroom like a train horn. “Spill! Spill! I won’t breathe a word, I promise!”
Shit, I’d really love to have someone to talk to about this. And I knew Ally wouldn’t tell anyone. She was married to her job, and she mostly kept in touch with her friends over social media. She didn’t gossip. Fuck it.
“Okay, but only if you pick me out something to wear first.”
Ally was vibrating with excitement. “Yes! Okay, okay. I can do this.” She moved past me to stand in front of my closet. She flipped through my shirts briefly, then said, “Shit, Will, when was the last time you went shopping?”
“Uh, I don’t remember. Before the accident, probably. I ordered some t-shirts off Amazon, though. They’re only a couple of months old.”
“T-shirts? What kind of place are you going to?”
“Uh, just the ranch house. They’re making dinner.”
Ally froze. “They?” I smirked at her.
“No info til you pick me out something to wear, remember?”
“Shit, shit, shit! Okay, show me these t-shirts.” She ended up picking out one that was a nice burgundy color. “Okay,” she said. “This might work under that white button-down you never wear.” She pulled that out and paired the shirts with a worn pair of jeans.
“Uh, Ally? These are not my nicest jeans.”
“But they make your ass look great. Trust me. Here, just wear your boots. We’re done. Now spill!”
So I did. I told her about learning Cole and Jason were in a relationship, them flirting with me and then asking me on this date. “But I mean, I get that I’m available and I know their secret and everything. But I’m no one special.” I paced the room, wringing the t-shirt in my hands.
“Will, you are so special. You just don’t know.”
“Idon’tknow! And then what happens if it gets physical? When I have to show them…?” I gestured at my back.
“Damn it, Will! They asked you on a date. They trust you with their big juicy secret, and their even juicier three-way secret! That means they care about you, so some little scars won’t make a difference to them!”
I sighed and sat on the bed. “I know. It’s just…scary.”
She sat down next to me and rubbed my back. “What have other guys said to you when they’ve seen them? You never told me. Were they jerks? You know I’d kick their asses!”
I huffed a laugh but didn’t answer her. I looked down at the t-shirt in my hand.
“Will? Will, youhaveshown your scars to someone, right? I mean, I haven’t seen them after you didn’t need help applying the salve any more, but….”
I smiled at her weakly. “Hey, I’m going to a therapist for a lot of reasons.”
“Dammit, Will!” She leaped to her feet and stood in front of me with her hands on her hips. “Get up! You are going to show me your back right now.”
“Ally, no.”
“Will, I’m assuming you’ve looked at your back yourself recently, right?”
“Uh, I generally try to avoid it. I’ve got that reacher tool so I can put the scar-reducing cream on it without having to look in the mirror.” Cream I’d been using for over a year with little effect.
“And you’re certainly not objective about it when you do look at it, I’m guessing. So you will show me your back right now. Don’t you think showing me first will help you freak out less when those two hot guys want to get you naked?”
Fuck, I hated it when she was right. “Okay, okay.” I stood up.
Ally was still standing there with her hands on her hips. “Ally—”
