Page 97 of Corkscrew You
“I’ll fetch supplies,” says Izzy. “Back in a sec.”
Shelby’s hovering near the doorway. Max looks like he’s about to get comfortable in an armchair, until he twigs that, you know, maybe, we could do with a moment alone.
“I’ll go see if Mom and Ava are OK,” he says, and leaves, taking with him my eternal gratitude.
I lock eyes with Shelby again. A lot of words come into my brain, but none seem right. Luckily, Shelby decides not to overthink matters. She hurries from the door, slides onto my lap and kisses me hard.
I kiss her back with every ounce of energy I have. Which isn’t that much, to tell the truth, but it’ll do for now. She feels sogoodin my arms, the smell of her, the warmth and softness of her skin. If I died right now, I’d be the happiest dead guy on the planet.
“I’m so sorry,” I murmur, when we take a break to breathe, and at exactly the same moment, she says, “I love you.”
I’m not sure I’ve heard correctly. But then she says it again, and kisses me again, and I think Ihavedied, and this is a weirdly domestic kind of heaven, complete with armchairs and occasional tables.
She stops kissing me, and punches me on the arm. This is definitely real. Her fist isstrong.
“Ow,” I say.
“Why haven’t you beeneating?” she demands. “You need to lookafteryourself!”
“I’m fine,” I assure her. “I got low iron all the time when I was doing track. Doc Wilson used to inject me in the butt with a big dose, and next day I’d feel like a million bucks.”
“In thebutt?”
“Cheek,” I clarify. “Gluteus maximus muscle, if you want to get technical.”
I’m so happy to be holding her, I can’t stop smiling. Shelby’s not quite done being cross with me, though.
“You scared the crap out of me,” she says, accusingly. “And you’ve also proved my mother is a witch.”
“Your mother?”
“She called it,” says Shelby. “When she saw you yesterday, sheknewyour iron was low.”
“Huh,” I say.
Then I remember, I have something much more important still to tell her.
“I love you, too.” I punctuate it with a kiss. “And I’m sorry for being such a dick.”
“I’msorry,” she says. “I didn’t mean what I said at all.”
“I know. You’d never be intentionally unkind.” I smile wryly. “Doesn’t mean it wasn’t true, though.”
“No,don’tsay that!” She looks equal parts ashamed and irritated. “You’re thebest. And don’t argue—”
She forestalls any rejoinder by kissing me. I havenodesire to argue with that.
“Ahem.”
Someone’s fake-coughing in the doorway. Shelby makes to hop off my lap, so I grab her by both gluteus maximi, and prevent her from going anywhere.
“Uh, sorry to interrupt,” says Max, waving a bottle. “But we have bourbon and cookies. And a beef sandwich for Nate.”
Well, it’s not like I can shut my whole family out of this room so Shelby and I can have sex on the couch. I’dliketo do that, but it’s not totally practical.
“Bourbon and cookies?” I say to her.
“I should get home,” she says, apologetically.
