Page 41 of Exile & Lula
“Them all? It’s just Dillon and Elle’s boy, right?”
“Bebe and Pax are foster parents. They have a boy and a girl right now.”
“Did they do that when you were growing up?”
“With four kids around, no. But once we were grown and out of the house, they missed the chaos.”
Silence settled between us. Exile’s distance felt deliberate. He seemed to already have one foot out the door.
“What’s the plan?” I asked, leaning back on the couch and resting my arms along the back. “Are you heading back to Baton Rouge now?”
Exile leveled his gaze and asked in a hard voice, “Is that what you want?”
“If I had my way, you’d borrow more clothes and stay here.”
“What about Dillon?”
“Rowdy said you were safe,” I said, holding his gaze and mentally daring him to look away. “He’s got a nose for people’s secret fuckery. When I’m unsure about a client, I’ll have him drop by the office and chat with the person. He can always tell if they’re putting on an act.”
“And I got the all-clear, huh?” he asked, sounding annoyed by the idea.
“Do you think you’re a danger to my daughter?”
“No,” Exile grumbled, instantly pissed. “I get my rocks off from hurting assholes, not kids.”
“Then, why are you behaving as if I’m wrong to trust you?”
Running his hands through his wet, brown hair, he sighed. “Because I’m starting to feel the distance between where I call home and where you do. Yesterday was a blur. Today, I wasn’t sure what would happen. Now, I’m about to call my sister, and I don’t know what to tell her.”
“I’m a problem solver, so let’s solve your problem,” I said, sitting forward and resting my elbows on my knees. “First off,what do youwantto tell Nova? Be blunt with me and skip the way you’d say it to her.”
“I feel that leaving you right now would be a mistake.”
“Because I’m in danger?”
“Because I don’t want to leave you,” Exile said, sounding a little pained to admit his feelings. “It makes sense to go home, but I don’t feel like being smart. I just want to give myself what I want, and that’s to stay with you.”
Exhaling with relief, I settled into the acceptance that Exile and I were on the same page.
“I’m fully aware my feelings for you must seem overly impulsive, even unhinged. We’re strangers. I’m dealing with trauma. You’re the guy who saved me. Logically, we should slow down. But I’m not a woman who falls easily, but I’ve fallen hard for you. So, I don’t care if my choices feel rushed. I don’t want you to leave. If you do go, I’ll follow. That’s what my heart demands right now.”
Exile’s steely expression couldn’t hide his desire and doubt. He was a ball of emotions. I also sensed he was holding his tongue. Though he wanted to stay, we both knew he couldn’t put down roots in Little Memphis.
“Long-distance relationships can work for busy people,” I said, offering a solution to his concern. My hands rested on his chest. “We both have jobs and responsibilities, but we can make time to meet. Baton Rouge and Little Memphis are only a few hours apart.”
“And you have your fancy helicopter.”
Smiling, I liked how he was looking for solutions rather than obsessing over problems. “Dillon spends a majority of weekends with her dad. I’m also able to do much of my work anywhere. This thing between us doesn’t have to end when you go home.”
Exile exhaled deeply, clearly relieved. If we wanted this relationship to last, we’d need to work at it together.
For most of my adult life, I’d assumed I wasn’t capable of falling hard for a man. I accepted Jarred was the best I could manage. And that was fine. I never cried myself to sleep or felt lonely. My life was great before Exile.
Yet, now, after only two days, I couldn’t deny how he owned my heart, and I couldn’t be happy without him.
EXILE
Lula’s assurances about long-distance dating helped me calm down. A little, anyway. Rationally, I should be able to handle us living apart. Seeing her every weekend would allow me to keep my life and build a relationship with Lula. Yet, the thought of not seeing her during the week left me edgy. My addiction to Lula had overruled my common sense.
