Page 43 of The Way Home
I swiped at my cheek where a tear had escaped and looked at him through blurry eyes. “What are you saying?”
Instead of answering, Jeremy said, “Sometimes, storms take me back there. The smell of wet grass, rain on my cheeks, thunder, and I lose my breath all over again. Ithasgotten better over time, but when my emotions are heightened, it sneaks back in.”
“Like the other night?”
Jeremy nodded. “Yes. It was particularly bad because of all the stress I’d managed to work up about my interview. Then you came in, and you gave me my breath back.”
“I didn’t do much.”
Jeremy clasped my face in both hands. “You did, though. You knew something was wrong, you stayed with me, and you helped me relax to the point where I didn’t notice the storm anymore. In that space, I didn’t have to be the star player or the tough athlete, or the strong gym guy. I could simply be someone who needed you, and you were there.”
“I will always be there to help you weather any storm, Jem.”
He leaned in and kissed me, long and slow, until I melted into him. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead on mine. “And that’s why you never need to be afraid of me leaving you. You’re the only person I’ve ever felt comfortable letting my guard down with. I don’t ever want you to think that you’re not good enough for me, because you are. You are handsome, smart, funny, sexy as fuck, and you make me feel safe. Riley, you give me my breath when I lose it.”
Tears were flowing free now, and I fell against Jeremy. He shifted and laid back against the arm of the couch, pulling me with him until I was laying on top of him. He kissed my head and wiped away a streak on my cheek.
I sniffled and said, “Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“I’m in.”
“You gotta give me a few more words, darling, so I can be sure what you’re saying.”
“I’m saying you had your chance to back out, but it’s too late now. We’re doing this, and you’re not allowed to leave me.”
The rumble of laughter that rolled through Jeremy shook my entire body. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Jeremy
Ididn’t think I could get any happier. We spent the rest of the evening on the couch, Riley in my arms, only moving when we needed to, and always returning to the same position. Riley’s dark scruff nuzzling into my shoulder. I loved the way his bristly cheeks felt. As kids, he had longer hair but couldn’t grow a mustache. Now, his black hair was short, and the unshaved look on his squared chin shed any of the young baby face he used to have. He really grew into himself. Riley wasn’t simply cute and adorable anymore. He was handsome and sexy and mine.
Mine. The word made my now ever-present smile stretch wider. “Hey, Ri?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m really fucking happy.”
Riley let out a soft sigh and brushed his lips along my throat, kissing the sensitive skin there. “I am, too.”
Eventually, we moved to the bedroom. We got out of our clothes and slipped into bed naked, but it wasn’t sexual this time. I think we both needed to feel as close as we possibly could. I certainly wasn’t going to complain about getting to feel his skin against mine.
We kissed goodnight and settled in, Riley’s body tucked into mine as much as he could with his feet pulled up. I didn’t sleep with a lot of people, like actual sleep, but with Riley, this was how I pictured our future. A lifetime of him in my arms. The thought made me feel so light, as if we would both float away with only the ceiling to keep us in place.
In the morning, I woke to my phone ringing. Riley clung to me as I tried to get up to check it, which almost made me want to ignore the phone, but I couldn’t.
I pressed a kiss to the top of his black hair. “I gotta see who it is.”
Riley reluctantly let me go and flopped to his back. “Fine. If it’s my mom again, I’mnottalking to her while I’m naked.”
I chuckled. “You know she can’t see you, right?”
“ButI’llknow I’m naked, and that’s just weird.”
“God, you’re cute,” I smirked and grabbed my phone. When I saw the local number, I sat straight up. Clearing my throat to try to make it seem like I hadn’t just woken up, I answered, “Hello?”
“Hi, Jeremy. Good morning. This is Gary West, principal at Stony Creek. How are you doing?”
