Page 40 of Stuck with the Grump

Clarke laughed, his lips finding my neck as he pressed lazy kisses against my pulse. “I guess so. I learned how to play guitar when I was in Spain.”

“Play me something sometime?”

“I could right now.”

He got out of bed, sliding on a pair of boxer briefs before pulling an old guitar out of his closet. He sat down on the edge of the bed, spending a few minutes tuning the guitar before he began to play.

Clarke played me one song after another, stopping long enough to talk, eat, and fuck before repeating the process. By the time lunchtime came around, my legs felt like jelly and I was happier than I had been in a long time.

After lunch, we went outside to soak up as much of the sun as we could in case there was rain again. As we walked, we could hear the rumblings of a construction crew. I looked at Clarke, feeling my heart starting to sink in my chest. The road would be fixed before we knew it and then we would have to say goodbye.

You don’t have to say goodbye, the voice in the back of my mind said as I looked at Clarke. He looked down at me and smiled before squinting against the sun and looking over at the neighbors. My phone started ringing, playing the song I had set for my mom.

“Hi, Mom,” I said, trying to sound more cheerful than I felt. Lately, calls from her hadn’t been good. “How was treatment yesterday?”

“They ran a bunch of extra tests before they put me on anything. The cancer is spreading, and it looks bad. They might be able to control it, but they don’t know until they get in there. The first round of drugs didn’t feel great, and the nurses said it only gets better. I’m pretty sure they were being sarcastic.”

I laughed though I wanted to scream. “That’s great, Mom. Real cheerful outlook.”

“Better to be realistic about my chances,” she said with a sigh. “Anyway, I hear that they’re fixing the road today and tomorrow so you should be able to come home soon.”

“I can’t wait to get home. I’m sorry I haven’t been there to come to the appointments with you.”

“Your dad and Tyson were there yesterday, Leigh. Plus, I’m your mom. You’re not supposed to be taking care of me.”

Tears welled in my eyes as Clarke’s arm wrapped around me and pulled me tight against his side. “I know but I don’t want you to have to go through anything alone.”

“I’m not alone,” Mom said. “Now, stop worrying about me. I only called to tell you about the road.”

“Yeah, I’m out walking right now. I can hear the crew working but I haven’t gone far enough down the road to see anything.”

“I’ll see you when you get home, alright? It’s time for more medicine which means I’m probably going to start feeling sick soon.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Love you, Leigh.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

When the call ended, a lump the size of a mountain was stuck in my throat. I bit back the tears, turning into Clarke’s side and fisting my hands in his jacket. His hands drifted up and down my back as he held me close, his lips pressed against my hair.

“How about we go home and watch a movie?” Clarke asked, his voice low as he pulled back far enough to look at me.

My vision was blurry as I nodded, my bottom lip quivering as I started the walk home. Clarke kept his arm around my waist as we walked. I leaned hard into his side. If he wasn’t there, I’m sure that the ground would have fallen out from beneath me.

When we got back to the lake house, we locked ourselves in his room. He tucked me under the covers and crawled in beside me.

“It’s not fair,” I whispered, leaning into Clarke’s side as more tears formed. “I’m tired of feeling hopeless and crying all the time.”

“I know,” Clarke said, his fingers combing through my hair. “I know you do. I wish I could tell you that it’s going to be okay, but I don’t know if it will be. I can’t.”

I nodded, sniffling as Clarke put on a movie. Clarke’s arms were tight around me as we watched in silence.

“I don’t want this to end,” he whispered when the credits started rolling.”

“Too late,” I said, nodding to the TV. “We could watch another one.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” He paused for a moment, staring straight ahead. Finally, he turned his gaze toward me, his eyes burning. “You and me, that’s what I don’t want to end. When we can go back home, I want to make a real go of this.”

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