Page 136 of My Skin Begs You Please

“Oh! He’s… Forgive me, but…is this Minty?”

So, shedidknow about me. How was I supposed to feel about that? If she knew, why wasn’t I allowed to come up and help out with this crisis?

“Yes,” I replied, while these thoughts tumbled through my mind. “I’m Minty.”

“Oh, my. I hadn’t imagined us meeting for the first time over the phone.”

“Me either.” Though I’d never imagined meeting her at all. Why was that? Selfishness, clearly. I hadn’t even asked Luke about what his family and Betsy thought of him missing Thanksgiving when he’d come with me and Mom to Asheville. I’d been so focused on trying to pretend nothing was wrong and that everything was hunky-dory for Mom, it hadn’t occurred to me that maybe he should have spent the day with his own family. What excuse had he given them?

Questions rose and rose in my mind like a bunch of bright balloons floating up to the ceiling, impossible to ignore. What wasn’t he telling me? Why hadn’t I asked?

Luke’s mom went on, “I want to thank you for letting Luke stay here with me for a little while. I appreciate that.”

“He said it was important.”

“It is,” she agreed.

“Yeah…” I trailed off. Awkwardness descended.

After a moment, she sighed. “He hasn’t told you the details of why he’s here, has he?” She sounded like she wanted to scold him for that.

“No, ma’am. Just that your husband isn’t well.”

“Heshouldhave told you a lot more than that. He’s always trying to handle things on his own, have you noticed?”

I nodded. “Yes, ma’am. He’s a very independent man.” And, apparently, I wasn’t. I was needy and desperate and—

Stop.

“Let me get him for you. But, Minty?”

“Yes?”

“Make him open up to you about this. He could use the support. I’m not able to give it right now because, well… You’ll understand when he tells you.”

“All right.” My stomach ached. Had he needed me all this time, and I’d been too selfish to see it, and he’d been too proud to ask?

“Also, when this is all over, I’d like you to come up to Johnson City for dinner. Would you be willing?”

“Yes, of course. If Luke wants me to come, I mean. I’d like to meet you.”

“Then it’s a plan.”

In the silence that followed while she fetched Luke, I evaluated the conversation. She thought I should make him talk to me. And why not? He made me do all kinds of things. If we really were more than just a Dom and his sub, and we were in love and boyfriends, then he owed me things too.

“Minty? Is everything okay?”

“Please talk to me and tell me what’s going on up there, Luke. I deserve to know.”

His silence at the other end of the line proved that my greetingwasn’t unexpected, but also not particularly wanted. After a beat, I said, “Look, I’m not okay with you telling me that you’ve got a family emergency, being gone for a week, but I don’t get to know the details about it. We’re together. You don’t have to handle this alone.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Go on.” I encouraged gently. With the sound of Luke’s voice in my ear and my determination to be the boyfriend he needed, the cries of all that darkness deep inside me grew quieter. I focused on Luke.Hewas what mattered right now. Not me. “I’m listening.”

Luke told me everything then, and I realized that he’d wanted to tell me all along. He’d just been afraid of burdening me with his problems when he knew I was already carrying more than my fair share of my own.

When he was finished, I scolded him. “How are you supposed to be mine, belong to me, when you keep this kind of thing to yourself?”

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