Page 61 of Stay A Little Longer
“Derek.” She whined her best friends name, “He’s engaged. He… He… He’s getting… married. He’s marrying someone and… it… isn’t… me.”
Damn it, Lance tucked his sister closer as the puzzle pieces slid into place. Derek Harper. Her best friend. The man she’d been in love with since she was a little girl. The one, as far as Lulu had always been concerned. And really, the one that Lance had always assumed would wake up and realize Lulu loved him and that he loved her too. But instead, he’d proposed to his college girlfriend, probably during the Thanksgiving lunch he’d invited Lulu to join him and his family for, and Lance’s little sister was absolutely devastated.
“I’m so sorry, Lu.” He brushed her hair and held her tight, trying to offer what comfort he could.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs drew his attention and he glanced up to find Trent coming down, his eyes taking them in and his eyebrows furrowing. He was instantly on alert. Concerned. All joking from earlier gone and replaced with only the glint of worry for Lance and the girl he’d deemed his sister from that first day at the trailer.
“What happened?” He hit the hardwood and stomped towards them.
“Derek.” Lance supplied over the top of his sister’s head.
“We’ll kill him, Lulu. Take him out and hide the body. Nobody’ll even have to know.” Trent eased in behind her, wrapping his big, strong arms around the both of them and Lance couldn’t help but smile at his boyfriend.
Because this was why he loved Trent so damn much. Why he’d fallen for him from the moment they met. He was strong and caring but so soft and sweet. He could soothe with nothing but a few words and he could make any situation seem better.
Lulu pulled back a little and hugged Trent in return.
Lance watched the two people he loved most in the world embrace and his heart thumped too hard in his chest. Their conversation from upstairs played in his mind again. They would get through anything as long as they had each other. Even this, Lulu’s breakdown before Thanksgiving dinner, could be dealt with. He caught Trent’s eye and mouthed the words to him.
I love you.
Trent nodded and then tucked his chin onto Lulu’s head. No words needed to be spoken. Nothing else needed to be said. They’d been able to understand each other without the need for words from that very first day and now, over a year later, they were fully in sync and in full agreement.
They would wait to tell their family that they were getting married. Now wasn’t the time. They’d tell them later, somewhere down the road, when it wouldn’t hurt Lulu just to think about weddings. And until then, well, they were both really good at keeping secrets.
