Page 125 of Tell Me When It's Over

I don’t stand down. “I don’t know what you mean. You’re going to need to clarify.”

Leighton murmurs, “Ky…”

“No, Len.” I tug our hands up and rest them on her thigh, not letting her pull away like I know she wants to.

Harry’s neck turns red, and Lenny stiffens beside me. Squeezing her hand, I meet my sperm donor’s eyes when he states, “I don’t approve of this.”

That makes me snort. “It’s a good thing I don’t give a shit about your approval anymore, or I’d be living a very boring life.”

“You’d be living a fulfilling one.”

Mom steps in. “Now is not the time—”

“Sorry, Mom, but this needs to happen.” I know confrontation is the last thing that should be happening in a public place, but thankfully we’re not in the public eye right now. I turn back to my father, whose spine is stick-straight, eyes glowering at the hand encompassing Leighton’s, and say, “You haven’t been able to decide what goes on in my life for a long time now, and it pisses you off. But your opinion about my choices stopped mattering to me years ago when I realized nothing I did would ever meet your standards.”

My eyes shift to the girl sitting next to me, her cheeks pink, her eyes wide as she looks at me with worry etched into her gray hues. I take a deep breath and smile at her, my thumb brushing against the back of her hand, before looking back at the two pairs of eyes that watch me skeptically. “If I did everything you wanted, I’d be miserable. Leighton has always made me happy, so we’re giving this a shot.”

Mom’s throat bobs, and the concern I see on her face is better than the anger on Harry’s. Unlike him, she offers me the smallest smile. “I don’t know how I feel about it, but if that’s what you two want…”

Harry’s eyes snap to her. “Are you kidding me, Diana?”

Mom turns to him, jaw locked. “Do you have any right to judge two people from being together? None of us are perfect, Harry, least of all you. Let them have their chance.”

“It’ll be a media circus.”

“I don’t care,” I cut in, tightening my hold on Lenny’s hand when her fingers twitch. “If they want to judge us for seeing where this goes, then let them. But I’m not going to let their opinions bother me. We’re not doing anything wrong. Nobody…” Nobody cheated. I want so bad to say it, but I hear the tiniest inhale of a sharp breath beside me and think better of it.

I redirect the conversation carefully, keeping my voice even so we don’t attract unwanted attention. “One day, Leighton might decide that dealing with me isn’t worth it, but let her make that decision on her own. That’s all I’m asking. Not for you to approve. Not for you to give your blessing. Just that you accept it.”

Both my parents are silent, though Mom looks a lot more considerate than Harry. It’s Lenny who turns her body to me, her eyes scanning slowly over my face, her hand clenching mine, before her lips ever so slowly tilt up at the corners.

I don’t know if I loved Leighton the second I saw her at the bottom of the staircase, wearing that ridiculous ratty Violet Wonders t-shirt, or the second, third, or fourth time she waltzed into my life. All I remember is the way she looked at me, innocent, scared, apologetic, but determined to make the most out of the situation her mother put her in—put all of us in—no matter what anybody thought.

All I know for sure is that sometimes a person walks into your life that reminds you why it never worked with anybody else. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that. It doesn’t have to be wrong.

It just…is.

Lenny peeks up at me from her lashes, her bottom lip drawn into her mouth, and a soft look easing her face. “I can’t get sick of the one person I’ve always wanted to keep.”

Swallowing over her soft-spoken words, I lean my forehead against hers and let out a quiet breath. “Will you tell me?” I whis

per.

“Tell you what?”

“Tell me when to stop.”

If it gets to be too much.

“Tell me when to leave.”

If you realize you can’t do it.

“Tell me when it’s over,” I finish, drawing our palms up to cup her face, running a finger over her bottom lip and resting it against her chin.

What she says aloud is, “Always.”

But what she promises silently with those soulful eyes is, “Never.”

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