Page 50 of Falling for You

I can’t help the anger that builds inside me thinking about him growing up that way and then a sudden rush of sadness hits. For him. But also for my half-brother. I wonder if he felt the same way growing up as Rex did. Rejected, unloved. And then I did the same.

I can’t admit to Rex what’s going through my head right now. But… “My mother had a hard time with her parents after I was born, too, so growing up, it was only the two of us.”

“That’s why you were so close?”

“Mm hmm. She was my best friend.”

“What would you do on her birthday?”

I sit up and turn to face him. His hand falls from my shoulder, rests on my back.

“Celebrate.”

He gives me a look that says, “go on.”

“So when I was old enough, I’d wake her up with her favorite breakfast of Chilaquiles…” he holds up a hand to stop me. “What?”

“You make homemade Chilaquiles?”

I nod, smiling. “The best, too.”

He clutches his heart. “I think I’m drooling. That’s one of my favorite things in the world.”

If we continue seeing each other, I’ll definitely make it for him one morning. Maybe his birthday, whenever it is.

“After we ate, we’d usually go shopping or to the movies or the park. Mom’s favorite thing was going to a nursery but that didn’t happen very often.”

“A nursery? Like babies?”

I giggle. “No. A flower nursery.”

“Huh?”

“A place to buy flowers and plants and trees. Sometimes landscaping things. She loved to walk around and smell and dream of what she’d want to do outside in the yard. Loved digging in the dirt. But this time of the year they’re not very busy, most of them already closed for the season so we’d switch it up and do that for Mother’s Day instead.” A pang of sadness squeezes my heart when I think about all the days I had to celebrate alone over the last year. To say it was hard is putting it mildly. Is that how it’s been for Rex? Celebrating Christmas and Thanksgiving alone? No one around to call family or people to make a big meal with? It might have been just my mom and me, but we still made sure to create memories together.

He thinks for a moment then his eyes flare like he has an idea. “Let’s go somewhere.”

I’d really like to sit here and wallow, maybe cry on his shoulder, ask him more details about his family, if he even calls them that anymore. Instead, I follow along. “Where’d you have in mind?”

The corner of his mouth ticks up, fingers playing with mine. In the short time we’ve been around each other, I’ve noticed he’s an affectionate guy. Touch is important to him. “Let me surprise you. I’ll run home and grab my pickup and then I’ll be back to pick you up.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Okay?”

“Trust me?”

Surprisingly, I do. Which doesn’t make sense because we barely know each other and typically it takes me a little bit of time to gain trust in others.

“Yes.”

Triumph glitters through his expression. “You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

I look down at my old ratty t-shirt and leggings and back up to him. He leans over, kisses my forehead then murmurs, “Don’t change a thing. You look beautiful.”

I blush which he catches, and winks to let me know he saw it. Even through his lenses, that wink is a straight shot to my center. Warming me up and causing me to squirm. Wowza.

He stands from the couch, stretching an arm out for me.

With my hand in his, he pulls me to stand in front of him, immediately wraps me up in his big, strong body. My soft curves mold against him and I wiggle just a little bit to get closer.

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