Page 81 of Lucky Laces
Fall.
Which is probably why when he asks, “But do something for me?”I reply with, “Anything.”
And when he says, “Sleep—just sleep—next to me tonight?”all I can do is nod my head.
And help him up the stairs to his bedroom.
Twenty-Six
Hudson
I haven’t beenthis horny since I was a teenager.
No.
That’s a fucking lie.
I’ve spent more time with a hard-on over the last five days than I ever did as a teenager.
One night sleeping next to Dee, holding her close but abiding by that soft “please” to wait to take things further—and without the side of bloodshed—was the most exquisite form of torture.
But I couldn’t push her, not only because she asked me to stop, but also because fucking up the stitches on my leg would further hurt my recovery.And maybe also because she asked so sweetly…and also because…we needed to slow the fuck down.
The previous few days were intense.
The quake, being trapped together, the hospital, that scene with my parents (who no surprise to me, have only called once since I put them in the car and haven’t bothered to reply to most of my update texts aside from the occasional thumbs up), Ernest walking in on us, Jean-Michel on my doorstep, and the best fucking sex of my life…thathadended with a side of bloodshed.Add in sharing—oh, no big deal—only my deepest, most shameful secret, her bringing in Smitty, and then my actually talking with Smitty and agreeing to meet with his team of specialists…
Not to mention the fact that she finally sees me.
Actually fuckingseesme.
So yeah, we’d needed to slow down.
Ineeded to slow down.
So we did.
That night, we made our way up to bed, Dee borrowed an unopened toothbrush then changed into of my tees—and seeing her in my shirt had me right back in hard-on zone.Something I’d ignored—then continued to ignore as she climbed into my bed next to me, I put the Breakers game on TV, and…
We talked.
About hockey and the team, about her Grams and how she got into coaching.
About stupid shit, like the contestants fromLove Island(another reality show she’s obsessed with) and important shit, like favorite foods and restaurants, colors and places to visit.
A horizontal date that didn’t end up with us getting naked.
But was somehow even better than that because it ended when she fell asleep in my arms.
It was…the single best night of my life.
Yet somehow the next few days are even better.
My leg doesn’t ache as much—something that’s helped by the fact that I don’t tear any additional stitches.And DeeDee isn’t avoiding me.In fact, she goes to her house, packs a bag to stay over and hangs out and works while I take some Zoom meetings with Smitty’s specialists.
I need to go see them in person—and several appointments are currently on the books—but for the first time in my life…okay, well, thesecondsince the talk with Smitty made me feel the same way, I don’t feel broken.
There are other people whose brains work like mine.
