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She eyed me speculatively as she reached underneath the counter and pulled out a t-shirt before placing it on the divider between us. “I know who you are, you know.”
I took the shirt off the counter and shrugged it on.
“A lot of people do, ma’am,” I said quietly.
“Someone who’s that in love with you, doesn’t care about your status, or your money? Someone who cares so much about you that she plans something so spectacular just to get you to pay attention to her? That’s not crazy, baby. That’s love in its finest form. You should keep it, and never let it go. No matter how much time on this earth you have left. You might be taking away her once in a lifetime love,” she said quietly. “Take it from me. My man almost left me while he was in Iraq. Before he tried to go, he said he wanted to take a break. But I didn’t let that break happen. I went out of my way to ensure that I was there every step of the way. And I’m glad I did, because when he was hurt, they called me. Do you know that if she was hurt today, like for real hurt, the family wouldn’t have called you? You might’ve been the very last person to ever cross that brother or sister’s mind. And what would you have done if she’d just all of a sudden stopped making those efforts? How long would it have taken for you to notice?”
Well, it looked like three women were going to get their licks in today.
“What do I do?” I asked.
“You love her. That’s all you can do.”
Then she charged me a thousand bucks for a t-shirt, to remake the food, and deliver it.
The next stop was a phone store.
The final one was at our apartment complex where I helped as much as I could—which arguably wasn’t much.
But I wanted her to know that I was there.
Even if she spent the entire time ignoring me.
CHAPTER 21
Fine.
-Things that you don’t want to hear when you’re in a fight with your girl.
NASH
To say that she was mad would be an understatement.
Parking my truck outside my parents’ house, I got out and rounded the vehicle.
She didn’t wait for me like she usually did, instead hopping down out of the truck with barely a glance at me.
Completely circling around me, she walked right up to my parents’ door and entered without knocking.
My lips twitched as I watched her walk into the house as if she’d done it a thousand times before.
When I got into the entryway, my gaze immediately snagged on Zip hugging my mother.
She was whispering something into my mother’s ear, and then she pulled back and reached for her hands.
“I promise, with all that is in me, I will make sure that he’s taken care of.”
My mother said something in reply, and then Zip nodded. “I’ll make sure of that, too.”
Curious as to what they were saying to each other, I walked closer, only for both of them to break apart.
My mother stared at me, accusations in her eyes.
“You said that she couldn’t handle it!”
I winced.
“I never said that,” I admitted.
I’d let them think what they wanted.
Did I allow them to think that particular lie? Yes.
Should I have? No.
Knowing what I know now? That was a definite no.
“You’ve been absolutely miserable for weeks, and you did it to yourself!” Mom accused. “Jesus Christ, Nash Wilder Christopherson. It’s time to stop being selfish. Jesus.”
My mother turned then, bringing one of her hands down, but leaving the other firmly attached to Zip’s hand. “Come on, darling. I’ll take you to the Nash’s room where the rest of us are hanging out.”
So they hadn’t moved after I’d left. Interesting.
Zip tossed me a look over her shoulder, glaring at me the entire way until she disappeared around a wall.
I brought my hand up and scrubbed my face.
Fuck.
Pulling my phone out, I texted Tyson, who came down into the entryway ten minutes later.
“Took you long enough,” I grumbled as I stared back outside.
“There was a hug fest, and some explanations.” He eyed me speculatively. “Bad move, bro.”
I didn’t need to hear it.
I was already living it.
“Come help me get her stuff out of the car,” I said. “I tried to lift the suitcase to get it into the truck, but I could barely budge it.”
I was so fucking weak it was embarrassing.
“Gotcha,” he said. “So she’s moving in?”
“Yeah,” I said. “She’s staying.”
Tyson had it all hauled up into the house in less than five minutes. My younger, smaller, and weaker brother was now stronger than me.
Awesome.
“Come on,” he said. “We can go up there now.”
I didn’t want to.
I was afraid of the reception I was about to get.
Tyson didn’t take no for an answer, and practically dragged me like a misbehaving child all the way to my room. I was too damn weak to fight him, too.
