Page 70 of Lorcan
As I once had. “You’re free to boot me out whenever you get tired of me.”
His fork—which was deep in the stir-fry—stilled. He looked over at me. “Please don’t say that again.”
“But—”
He shook his head. “I’m an adult. I treat things like an adult would. If this relationship stops working for us, then I’d talk to you one-to-one. With respect. I’m not going toboot you out.”
Shame heated my cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. Sore spot for me, you know? I might’ve overreacted.” Yet he still held my gaze.
“He left me. With literally nothing.”
“And my parents booted me out. With literally nothing. So we both know how that feels and, I hope, we’d never be so callous to someone else.”
I shook my head vehemently.No. I’ll never hurt you.Because, in that moment, feelings I didn’t understand welled within me. I blinked.
He leaned over to press a kiss to my lips. “Garlic breath goes well with fresh onions, I think.”
As he’d undoubtedly expected me to—I laughed.
And we finished our dinner.
We didn’t play that night. Both of us were exhausted. He did make gentle love with me and held me long into the night.
Chapter Eighteen
Cody
On Friday afternoon, I greeted Foster and his two children at the door of the counseling center.
The snow had started to fall a half-hour earlier.
I took Joshua’s car seat from Foster’s outstretched hand and took a peek under the tented blanket.
The seven-month-old infant slept with clearly no cares in the world.
Malaika, his seven-year-old sister, held Foster’s hand and tucked herself behind him.
I crouched. “I’m Cody. I’m a friend of Foster and Arnav’s.”
Slowly, she nodded.
“Oh, you’re here.” Denise stepped out from the hallway leading to her office.
Foster gestured to their shoes.
Denise waved him off. “Just wipe them. I noticed the snow’s coming down.”
“Still melting when it hits the pavement.” Foster continued to hold his foster daughter’s hand.
“Tell me that I get to look after this little guy,” I pointed to Joshua.
Foster grinned and handed me the diaper bag. “He fell asleep on the ride over—so there’s a good chance he’ll sleep through the hour.”
“I can handle it if he doesn’t.” I said this with way more confidence than I felt. “I need practice before Avery delivers that wonderful bundle of joy.”
Avery was another counselor at our center. She was ready to give birth to her first child any day now. She was thrilled.
