Page 73 of Cross My Heart
“No. Come on, man,” he says defensively. “I just said she was a cool girl. She is fun to talk to because she isn’t like all the others, but you know my situation. I cannot be involved with anyone without putting them in harm's way. She also doesn’t want to do anything other than text, she has her own reasons. We are just friends.”
Holding my hands up in surrender, I tell him, “Alright, but I think you need to figure this stuff out with your dad soon. You can’t live in your bubble forever.”
“I know. Listen, you all set here now?” he asks.
“Yeah, thanks for stopping by, I’m going to go tuck Tate in, then check on Lanie.” After giving me a hug, Trevor walks out the door and I turn for the stairs.
* * *
While tucking Tate in,he told me all about the Senator and Jake. I’m so pissed off, but unsure of what to do next. The fucking senator knew too much about Lanie, and about Anna, I need to find out the connection. After setting a reminder on my phone to call Ryan in the morning, I knock on Lanie’s door.
“Come in,” she says, sounding exhausted.
I walk into her room, looking around, still ashamed I haven’t done anything to personalize this space for her.It’s because you keep hoping she will move into your room permanently, asshole, my damn conscious whispers in my ear.
“Hi, sweetheart. You look tired.”
Laying back on her pillows, she agrees with me, “I am, it’s been a long day.”
“I heard,” I inform her. “Tate told me everything. I wanted you to know that I heard some of your conversation with him earlier. Thank you for being there for him like that. You might be the only one who understands him right now.” I sit next to her on the bed.
“Maybe,” she shrugs. “Did I hear someone downstairs?”
“Yeah,” I chuckle. “Trevor stopped by. Apparently, he and Julia have been texting a lot. She told him what happened tonight and sent him over here to check on us.”
Now Lanie is laughing too. “What? How long have they been talking?” She asks, sounding surprised.
“Not talking, he was pretty specific about that. It sounds like they set ground rules. They are strictly friends, which, in their world, means no phone calls, no video calls, just texts.” I say, laughing.
“Julia does like to set parameters for everything in her life,” she tells me.
“Trevor too. They are so similar I often wonder if they would be the best match in the world or if they would kill each other before their first date even started.” I look over and notice Lanie is almost asleep. I lean over her, “Sweetheart, come to bed with me? Let me hold you tonight.”
“Mm-hmm,” is all I get from her. Reaching around her back, I pick her up off the bed and carry her to my room. I’m expecting a nightmare tonight, I want her close by when it hits.
Waking up with Lanie in my arms the next morning, I realize she slept through the night.She stayed and she didn’t have a nightmare. I wonder if she realizes this too when she flutters her eyes open suddenly, looking surprised.
“You didn’t have a nightmare last night,” I say to her.
“I didn’t have a nightmare last night,” she repeats, “Julia must be right about body heat keeping the monsters away after all.”
“Baby, if my body heat keeps your monsters at bay, I’d like to offer it up every night.” Smiling, she reaches up to kiss me, then jumps out of bed to start her day.
* * *
MLM Tactical Group
Dexter: Day 98, Lanie has a cold so tonight I’m bringing her homemade chicken soup (handmade by the restaurant around the corner)
Julia: (hand clapping emoji)
Trevor: (kitten emoji)
Preston: (middle finger emoji)
Dexter: Fuck off, all of you.
* * *
