Page 46 of Besties
“And that’s why I love him.”
I twisted in my seat to find Richie standing behind me.
“The doctor is in with Walter. They’re going to do some more tests, but after, they’ll let him go home.”
“Thank you.” She stood up and hugged him. “I can’t tell you how much it meant that you’d come with Max.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You’ve been telling me for years I’m family. Where else would I be?”
“But your company—”
“Can do fine without me for a few days. Allyssa has her instructions, she’s got my phone number, and in an emergency, she’ll call me.”
Mom’s eyes filled again. She scrubbed a hand over them. “God, when did I get so weepy?”
I moved in closer and put a hand on her back. “When you were faced with the mortality of someone you love.”
Her expression crumpled. “I can’t lose him. I’m just not ready yet.”
Richie squeezed her tight. “If you’re ever ready, I’m going to think something is wrong with you.”
He held her while she cried, much as he’d done with me whenever I needed him. What Richie was doing now opened my eyes to a whole new facet of his personality. I’d thought it was just the kids who used Teaching Time’s products that Richie was so happy to help, but it wasn’t. He opened his arms to anyone who needed him. Me. Walter. My mother. Richie had been a safe harbor to all of us.
As I stood there and watched him, he glanced over and smiled at me. What was he thinking? He lifted his arm and tilted his head, letting me know he wanted me to come closer. I took two steps and he grabbed me, then hauled me in. I embraced Mom with one arm, and Richie with the other. I wasn’t surprised when he kissed the top of my head.
Mom stepped back first, a smile on her face. “I’m glad the two of you worked it out. It was damned exhausting watching you circle around each other all these years.”
Richie’s arms tightened. “It was his fault.”
I sputtered and tried to pull away, only to find myself held fast. He cupped my head and pressed it to his chest. I put a hand up, but he stopped me cold.
He chuckled. “Stay there and enjoy my nerdy scent.”
I knew he was teasing me, but…. Yeah, okay, fine. I inhaled, and my lungs filled, that delightful blend of oils and aromatic spiciness traveling to every part of my body. My heart, my mind, my very soul. I reached up and rubbed his chest, and he groaned softly.
“You two are so cute together.”
Shit. I tried to pull away, but that wasn’t about to happen as Richie tightened his grip. Bad enough I’d forgotten we were in a room full of people, but then I remembered Mom was there, and having her see this made my body heat with embarrassment.
“You’re blushing,” she teased.
Damn it. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. The fact that Richie is willing to stand in the middle of the cafeteria and hold you? You’ve both come a long way in just a few weeks.”
“It hasn’t been a few weeks,” I replied, my voice stronger than I thought possible considering I’d never been good at expressing my feelings. “It’s been a lifetime. I’ve wanted Richie since I knew what it was to love someone.”
He tilted my head back and kissed me full on the lips. Murmurs from the people around us meant nothing to me. Whether they approved or not, I didn’t care. All that mattered was he was touching me, loving me.
“What changed? Last time we talked, you said you weren’t ready.”
Richie broke the kiss and faced my mom. “I wasn’t willing to lose him again. I knew that if I didn’t fight for a chance to be with him, then I didn’t deserve it.”
She humphed. “I think I said that, like, three years ago.”
“You did, and I admit it. Thank you for being the voice of reason.”
He took my hand and I took Mom’s, and we went back to Walter’s room. When we stepped in, the doctor was finishing up.
