Page 52 of Uproot

He takes my hands in his, his eyes going soft as they look over my face. “You can show me anything, Selah. And share anything with me too. I’d never judge you, sweetheart.”

I press a kiss to his lips, smiling against them. This man never ceases to amaze me with how kind and thoughtful he is, not just to me, but to everyone he cares about.

I hurry to the bathroom to see how my new earrings look. I smile at my reflection, looking at the adorable studs and feeling so special and cared for.

Beckett comes in behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck. “I love them, Beckett. Thank you, really,” I say sincerely, turning to kiss his cheek.

“I’m glad you do, angel. Anything looks good on you though,” he responds.

He turns me around in his arms, and his expression turns serious as he holds onto my hips. “I decided that Edison and I are going to stay here for the summer.”

My eyes widen, and a rush of hope fills me. “Really?! Why? When did you decide this?” I ask.

He takes my hand and leads me over to the bed, pulling me to sit on his lap. He rubs my back slowly and I wait for him to continue.

“When I went back home I realized how crazy it can be coming into that environment after living here. I also just want to spend more time with him, and form a closer bond so that he knows I really have his back, and he builds trust in me. He needs an anchor in all of this. I’m not ready to just uproot his life to make mine easier.”

I squeeze his hand that’s still holding mine, feeling my heart ache as I see the tension on his face. “That makes a lot of sense. But what about your business? I know you’re trying to be selfless, but it seems like you have even more going on now that you’ve completed this new partnership,” I ask.

“I’ve already talked about it with Bobby. He understands why I want to stay, and everyone is much calmer now about me working long distance. Being here has made me realize that there’s no reason for me to be in the office every day. I need to delegate more work to my employees and not try to be such a control freak about every aspect of my business. I’ll fly back a few times for meetings, and just work from here like I have been. We will just need to get back before school starts in September,” he explains.

He sees the worried expression on my face and he leans over to kiss my forehead, “I also just can’t imagine leaving you, Selah. I feel like we just finally are really opening up to each other, and to leave so soon..” he takes a deep breath, shaking his head. “I’m not going to lose you. I’m going to figure all of this out. That’s something we can talk about over summer too, ok?”

I didn’t ever want to make him feel guilty for needing to move back to New York. I knew the risk that I was taking letting myself get attached to him, knowing that I would potentially not only be losing Edison, but also now two more people I’ve grown to care about.

I can’t even think about what it would be like without Edison and Dragana here every day too. Even though Beckett has taken the reigns, I still feel a responsibility and attachment to Edison. And Dragana has quickly become like a second mom to me, filling my heart with the kind words and attention that I always wished I could have received from my own mother.

I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder, “We will figure it out. I don’t want to lose you either, Beckett,” I whisper.

He turns my head and presses his lips against mine, kissing me with all of the emotion I’m feeling right now, like he’s promising me he won’t let me go.

We pull apart and I smile shyly at him, feeling flustered.

“How about you get dressed, Angel. You’re going to spend the day with us, right?” he asks.

I stand up and he does too, staring down at me expectantly. “I’d love that, yes. But I’m supposed to have dinner with some of my friends tonight,” I explain, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt and feeling nervous for what I need to ask. “I was wondering if you can come? I’d love to introduce you to them.”

He raises an eyebrow, rubbing his hand over his chin, “They won’t mind?”

I shake my head, smiling excitedly, “No! Not at all. It’s going to be a group of us getting together at my friends Piper and Oakland’s house. You’ll be more than welcomed!”

He tilts his head, “Well I’ve only met Mary so far, so I’d definitely like to meet more of your friends,” he agrees, then steps closer to me. “Will Joesph be there?”

I fight the urge to laugh, knowing exactly why he’s asking, “Joeywill be there, yes.”

“Good,” he responds, and I try not to overanalyze why that would please him. “We’ll have dinner with your friends, and then you can spend the night again here.”

I smile knowing that arguing with him will be futile. “I’d love that, Beckett,” I agree. “Sounds like a perfect day.”

28

Beckett

Our Saturday turns out to be a gloomy, rainy day, so we spend the morning inside at home. I show Selah some of the apps I’ve made, and she gets wrapped up in a coloring app I created two years ago. I watch her as we sit on the sofa with Edison and they take turns doing the color by number until they have a vibrant picture of farm.

After lunch we decide to venture out and go to Brimstone Arcade in town and play some games. Edison and I play Donkey Kong, and I teach him some of my Pac-Man skills, while Gana and Selah opt for playing Skee Ball.

That evening I order pizza, salads, and some brownies for Edisonand Gana, and set it up for them in the dining room. They are staying home to watch a movie while Selah and I go to dinner at her friend’s house. Once they are settled, I go to finish getting ready for dinner.

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