Page 101 of Fire Island
Cal pulls me into his arms, sinking his head into my neck, face smothered in my hair.
“No glasses, baby?”
I smile up at him. Took him long enough.
“Contacts are easier than those bulky things. Mostly.”
“Good. I like seeing your face. So fucking beautiful, mo ghràdh.”
“I missed you. Lying in that bed without you washell.”
He chuckles, and we head for the house, my bag in his hand, his other laced with mine. The house looks the same. I don’t know why I thought it wouldn’t. The door to the shack is open, and Reese moves about inside. Avoiding the cringy adults, no doubt.
“He’s staying?” I ask.
“Ava kicked him out. I can’t turn him away.”
He doesn’t have the heart for that. And I am one hundred percent certain when he looks at his son, he sees himself.
I do.
It’s like a window into the years of Cal’s I missed.
“Why did she kick him out?”
“Hasn’t said. Guess it’ll come up soon enough.”
“Guess so. You want to go upstairs, or do you need a hand with your chores?”
“Later I will. You got writing to get to?”
“I do, actually. But is my stuff still in the shack?”
“Ah, fuck. Yeah, it is. Told him not to touch your things.”
“It’s fine, I doubt he’s an avid romance reader.” I make my way to the shack and knock politely on the door. Is this how Cal felt when some random twentysomething woman turned up that one time?
I smile at the memory of our beginning.
The door opens, and Reese stands with a frown. “Yeah?”
“I need to grab my work stuff?”
Why am I asking? All those months of learning to say what I want are nowhere to be found.
He waves a hand and steps to the side. I try my best to shoot him a smile, but I doubt it reaches my eyes. Neither of us seem comfortable with this situation.
He moves across the small space and drops onto the bunk. He picks up his phone, tapping the screen, but tosses it back to the table.
“No service. At least, it’s rare here,” I offer.
“Figured.”
Man of few words. I know one of those. In my experience, they just take some warming up. I’ll give him his space. If he’s anything like his father, there’s an amazing man in there somewhere. Under all that angst, attitude, and gruff exterior. The roughness he wants the world to see.
Luckily, a few of us can see past that particular shield.
Iris, Em, and I being the most notable.
