Page 191 of Into These Eyes
“No more secrets,” she agrees. Turning her head, I follow her gaze to the gift box. “Now, can we address the fact that you saved a man’s life?”
I shake my head as she leads me to the couch. Taking a seat, I pull her down on my lap and wrap my arms around her waist. Before I can stop her, she picks up the box and rests it on her thighs. “You saved his life, Gavin. That has to mean something to you.”
“But I let him down,” I confess.
She gives me a confused blink. “I don’t understand.”
“I was so excited that you knew I was innocent, so caught up in working with you to clear my name, I ignored an important factor. Benny. He seemed happy for me. But to him, it must have felt like I was abandoning him.”
Her fingers fist in my hair as she shakes her head. “Explain to me how spending every second day with him is abandoning him? You’ve given him purpose. You taught him how to use technology he’d never encountered before. You made him help you fix up this house. And you were right … you gave him another person who cares about him … and you gave him to me, too. And I bet, when you were alone with him, you talked his head off. I think you knew he was struggling, and you used everything you are, and everything you’ve learnt, to help him.”
I stare into her eyes, dumbfounded by her insight. I want to believe she’s right. Ihopeshe’s right. “Maybe … maybe we both saved him.”
She lets out a puff of air. “Stop it, Gavin. It was all you. I think you could help a lot of people like Benny. Whether that’s something you want to do or not, I’m determined to at least give you the choice.” She looks down into the box on her lap. “Now, what’re we going to do with this?”
“We need to get it out of here.”
“I’ll call Pete tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll know what to do with it.” Suddenly, she lets out a little chuckle.
“What can possibly be funny?”
“Just my weird brain. Now I’m not going to be thinking,Bennie and the Jets. Now I’m going to be thinking,Benny and the Gun. Stupid, right?”
“Cute.” I nuzzle her neck. “You got a good place to hide it? I’d prefer to never see it again.”
She nods. “Why don’t you go for a walk around the block, and I’ll take care of it? But,” she adds, taking the note out of the boxand handing it to me, “you should keep this somewhere close to you. It’s probably the most precious gift you’ll ever receive.”
I take it from her and nod, but I can’t look at the words. I know if I do, I’ll end up a mess.
So, I take a walk, letting everything that’s transpired sink into me. I feel torn, like I failed Benny and saved him at the same time. I guess I’ll never know if doing everything Jamie mentioned really worked or not. Maybe he would’ve been fine without my support. Maybe not.
One thing I do know, is that I should look on the positive side. No point beating myself up for something that didn’t happen.
As I head back home, I pull out my phone and call him.
“Don’t bother, Gav. Everythin’s been said. I’m stickin’ around. End of discussion.”
“Right,” I say, trying to hide the crack in my voice. Swallowing hard, I tell him, “Well, I just wanted to say you’ve outdone yourself with your gift giving skills. Oh, and I love you, you old goat. There’s that.”
He’s silent for so long, I think the connection’s dropped out. Then his voice, thick with emotion, comes through the receiver. “See ya in a couple of days, Son.”
This time the call ends. As I shove the phone back in my pocket, I let a smile take hold, and I feel it in my heart, too. I’m pretty damn sure calling meSonis his way of telling me he loves me. And I’m more than fine with that.
After a light dinner of leftovers and a pathetic attempt to relax in front of the TV, we decide the bed seems far more attractive than anything else in the house. While Jamie stacks the dishwasher, I clean my teeth, climb into bed naked, and pick up my Kindle.Propped against the headboard, I pretend to read as she breezes in, grabs something from her dresser and disappears into the ensuite.
When she emerges, I continue to pretend to read, but in my peripheral, I catch the very short, sheer white negligee she’s wearing, her auburn hair tumbling over her shoulders in stark contrast.
Crawling onto the bed, she snatches the Kindle from my hands, places it on the nightstand, and straddles my lap.
“How rude,” I grumble through a wide smile. As she nestles on my lap, I take in the lovely view of her cleavage and those pink, pebbled nipples peeking through the lace. Running my hands up her arms, I hook my fingertips beneath the thin straps on her shoulders. “What’s this new torture you’re subjecting me to?”
“I thought I should wrap your Christmas present.”
“Mmm … I do like to unwrap gifts. But we agreed on no presents. I don’t have anything for you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Oh? Where?”
