Page 13 of Irrevocably Mine

“What if he can’t handle all the shit I bring to the party? What if I can’t get over all the yesterdays?”

“Not that I think for one minute that this is the case, but if he can’t handle all of you, would you want him, anyway? It’s not aboutgetting overthe yesterdays, it’s about leaving themthere,where they belong. As long as you are trying, that’s enough for Dax, I believe. He’s just not the type to sit back while you decide if you want to even put forth the effort. For you, this is new, but for Dax, he’s already been waiting for a year. Now that you’ve given him your body, he’ll settle for nothing less than the accessories that go with it. That’s why I say, you need to decide, and quickly, if you can just try. If you can, you have a real shot at happiness with him. If not, you both need to move on.”

Stacy put some real thought into what Gus had said, and not said. She was spot on. If she didn’t at least try, she was making a choice by elimination.Not the one I want, either. In that moment, she also realized how fucking lucky John was. Gus was everything he needed. “Thanks, for everything. From loving John to popping my girl-time cherry. I think with time, I could actually…” Stacy was cut off by an unexpected white fucking blur rolling in from out of nowhere. Screeching, it ran from the hall, through the kitchen, over their laps, around the table, and back down the hall. It happened so fast, Stacy wasn’t sure what the hell it even was.

“Ahhhh, what in the everlovingfuck was that?” Stacy’s head pinged back and forth as she jumped up from the couch and assumed a fighting position.

Gus just sat there laughing her ass off. She did that a lot. Stacy envied her just a little bit for her ability to be so emotionally free. “That was Rick,” she managed between belly laughs.

“And what the fuck is Rick, exactly? A Tasmanian devil?”

“No, silly, Rick’s just a cat. I rescued him last month.” Gus spoke casually as she returned the empty dessert plates to the kitchen.

Stacy grabbed the rest of the trash and followed Gus into the kitchen once she caught her breath. “Rick, that’s a weird name for a cat. I thought he would follow the theme you’ve established. Why Rick?” Gus was a little predictable, she tried to work music into every aspect of her life.

Gus turned her pixie features toward Stacy, her face swirling with barely-contained amusement masked as indignation. “You have to ask after what just happened? He does that all the time. Probably having a hard time adjusting. Really, nothing? He came in unexpectedly? Interrupted the flow of what was going on? Screeching over the serene tone of our voices?”

Stacy was still fucking lost. A shake of her head finally allowed Gus to deliver her punch line.

“Don’t you see? You just got Rick rolled.”

And then, Stacy did laugh her ass off.Leave it to Guru Pixie Pants.

---