Page 68 of Mr. Almost

“Sitting,” he deadpans as he picks up the menu.

“But why are you sitting next to me?”

He raises a brow. “Is there somewhere else you would prefer that I sit?”

I shift in my chair. “Well, no, but typically you sit across from the person you’re with.”

Under the table, he places his arm on my crossed legs. “Typically, yes, and I would if Ari was with us.”

“But…”

“But I just got you to admit that you want me as much as I want you. Which means I can openly touch you as much as I want, which I plan on doing a lot.”

“You do?” I ask softly, feeling slightly overwhelmed in the best possible way.

Mason squeezes my thigh. “Sweetheart, I’ve been waiting for the green light for weeks.”

“It’s not like you haven’t touched me,” I say as I think back on all the times he’s placed his hand on my back or brushed against me in the kitchen or when he held me as I slept.

“That was different.” He shrugs. “Now tell me, what looks good to you?”

I shake my head and look down at the menu and pick the first thing I see. “The omelet with hash browns.”

“Solid choice. I was thinking the stuffed french toast and sausage.”

“That sounds good, too.”

“We can share if you want.”

I turn my body toward him slightly. “Really?”

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s not a big deal.”

“No, I want to. Back before I had Arianna, Chloe and I would go out with friends. One of my favorite things was when we would all goout to eat together and order different things. Then we would all share so we could have a little bit of everything.”

“You don’t do that anymore,” he says rather than asks.

I shake my head. “No. When I got pregnant with Ari, all of my friends but Chloe drifted away one by one.”

“I’m sorry.”

I start shaking my head before he can even finish apologizing. “I’m not. As far as I’m concerned, the trash took itself out. Not that they were trash, but you know what I mean. They clearly weren’t the kind of friends I thought they were. We were in a different spot in life. I was a single mom who struggled to make ends meet. They were going out clubbing and shopping. Things I couldn’t do without money or a babysitter. The invites came less and less until they stopped completely. I’m not upset about it. It’s life.”

“Chloe stayed, though. She showed up for you,” he reminds me as I think about the past.

I was sad when everyone drifted away. It was Chloe that kept me going, though. She became a second mother to Ari. Hell, she held my hand during labor.

“She did.” I smile as I think about my best friend. “She jokes that she’s the baby daddy.”

“I mean, I’m here now, so she might have to give up that position, but I’m glad you had her. That you still have her. She is a little odd for sure, but she’s an amazing friend to you and an even better aunt to our daughter. She’s a blessing for our family.”

My eyes start to tear up at hearing him acknowledge my best friend.

“Thank you,” I tell him.

“For what?” he asks.

“Saying that. Being you. Being amazing.”

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