Page 23 of Wire
“You’re a kook, Tallulah.”
“No one has called me Tallulah in a long time either. I’ve been Calamity since I was a little girl and fell in the pond, taking the Preacher with me as I had grabbed hold of his robes to try and save myself.”
He loses it then, bursting out laughing, holding his stomach as tears roll down his cheeks.
“Oh My God, I can’t breathe,” he says while trying to get control of himself.
“Glad I can entertain you with my misery,” I huff at him, causing him to lose it again.
You can really go off a person.
CHAPTERTEN
Wire
My stomach hurts from laughing so much. This is exactly what I needed after the heavy stuff from a few moments ago. Tallulah is full of surprises, but what surprised me the most was after I screamed my truth at her, there was no judgment, no disgust, no nothing. Just genuine understanding and empathy.
She is now standing in front of me, with a scowl on her face while I try to stop laughing. But all I keep imaging is the Preacher in his Sunday best robes, falling into the pond, and I start to laugh all over again.
“I’m starting to really not like you,” she huffs at me.
She pouts her lips as she sulks, crossing her arms across her chest and pushing up her tits. I can’t stop looking at them and her lips. She is not helping me in the slightest.
“I’m sorry, but you have to admit, that’s funny.”
“Maybe a little, but it wasn’t at the time. The town has never let me forget it.”
“Are you happy living here?” The question falls from my mouth before I can stop it.
My question seems to shock her.
“I’m happy. It’s just sometimes the small-town gossip mill drives me crazy. Everybody is in your business all the time. Nothing stays a secret or is forgotten,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders.
“How have things been with your brothers since the conversation last week?” I ask although I have noticed that they have made more of an effort with her and been helping around the house more. Tyler has twice now cleared up for dinner and dealt with the dishes. It’s nice to see them stepping up.
“It has been good. They have been making more of an effort, and it feels like we are rebuilding our relationship. I wanted to thank you for standing up for me. No one has ever stood up for me like that but also, thank you for giving me my brothers back.”
“You’re entirely welcome, Lu.”
Her smile when I use the nickname, I’ve given her makes my insides jump. I love that something so simple means so much to her and that it was me who gave her that.
“So, when will you be leaving us?” she asks, sounding unsure.
“Not sure. You want to get rid of me?” It would kill me if she was, and I had outstayed my welcome. I feel we are building something amazing and want to see where this could go. I’m in love with her. She still wanted to be with me after my freak-out and how I spilled my truth to her.
“Do you want to go?” she asks.
Okay, maybe I need to be more direct. We could dance around this subject for weeks. Do I want a future with her, and do I want a life here? I know I want her in my life. In a very short space of time, I have come to need her like I need air to breathe. I reach out for her in my sleep and think about her when she’s not with me. The connection between us has only grown more and more. But the million-dollar question is, do I stay here or see if she will come home with me?
In my heart, I know I need to go home and face the music. Being with Lu has made me realize I need help. It has also made me think about the way I treated Carrie. She has been through something similar, and she handled it all with so much grace. She handled it better than I did. Her strength amazes me.
Carrie sought out help from a professional to deal with what happened to her. So maybe I need help too. Tinhead told me he also spoke to someone to help with his PTSD. Doesn’t make me less of a man that I need help. I can’t believe I thought that. If that had been one of my brothers, I would have done everything in my power to support them and get them the help they needed.
On the other hand, I’m scared to approach Joker. We didn’t exactly leave things in a good place. His attitude toward me was out of character, but he was still a dick to me. He offered no understanding or support like he did for Carrie. I guess you need to be his woman before he shows you understanding. He has always been a bit of a hot head. Usually, Tank reigns him in. This time Tank didn’t step in at all, which again is odd.
“I’m going to be honest with you. I feel a connection between us, and I want to continue building on that. I’m falling in love with you. Things between us could be truly amazing. But as for staying here with you, in my heart, I feel that home is where I need to be. On the flip side of that, I didn’t leave things in a great way and have some fences I need to mend. I would love for you to come with me. I get that it’s a huge ask to leave your family and your home. So please don’t feel like I’m pressuring you.”
She is silent, and I watch her face, trying to get a read on her reaction, but she is hiding it well. I give her time to mull everything over and get her thoughts together. My heart is beating so fast, and my palms are starting to sweat the longer she leaves me hanging.
