It’s a brilliant response, so of course I’ll take her up on it. I only worry over the sense that I can feel her fighting the urge to go overboard. Taking a moment, I try not to tear myself up over giving her the room to grow and handle it by herself, and also being there for her. She’s my best friend—not a colleague, but a sister.
Dalton tries this time. “Mae, we can be there. It’s no big deal.”
“No, please. The world needs at least one healthy couple out there enjoying life. Like I said, I’ll be okay.”
I want to give her a million reminders not to go out without a guard, not to drink too much or be mean to herself, but I also don’t want to sound like her mother. I’ve made the choice to let her breathe, and I need to stick by it. Clearing my throat, I find a different direction. “Hey, girl, keep that chin up. We’ll weather this thing, like we always do.”
“Yes. We will.”
Chapter 36
Dalton
“ALL SEEMS WELL,” Raleigh says through a stress releasing breath. She clicks off her phone and stuffs it in her purse, turning her attention to me for the first time since we sat down. “Sorry,” she concedes. It’s all fine with me, I’d gladly keep studying the way she worries with her lip when a new text comes through, or the way she rolls her eyes when the call turns out to be from “scam likely.”
“She’s good?” I ask, bringing the glass up to my lips.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that, but she quite literally threatened my life over the fact that I have a handsome man within my grasp tonight and I’m not giving him the attention he deserves.” She smirks before bringing her own cocktail glass to her lips. “Besides”—she smacks her lips at the taste of the Manhattan—“Theresa is with her now. They’re about to be whisked away by a writing session.” There’s sadness in her eyes now, but not over Mae’s situation.
Reaching forward, I take her braceleted hand in mine. The charms jangle against the table before the world comes to a standstill, like it often does when I’m looking at her. “The attention you give me is more than enough, Raleigh.” I squeeze her fingers in mine, and she returns the favor. “You could walk all over me and I would watch you stride away with admiration.”
The food arrives before she can throw a remark my way. I’m kind of bummed, I wanted to hear what she would retort with. However, as she cuts into her sirloin and her green eyes find mine through her lashes, I understand that I won’t be safe at any point tonight. I pray that I won’t be safe from her jabs at any point in the rest of my life.
Shocked that I’ve thought about our future together as forever, I have to look away from the vision in front of me or else I fear I’ll ask her to marry me here and now. Unfortunately for me, I let out a laugh, one that I definitely should have kept to myself.
“Something to share with the class?” she asks, a bite of steak halfway to her mouth.
“Nothing funny,” I answer. “Just thinking about you and your loose lips.”
“Loose lips sink ships, darling. I merely sow the truth so people can decide to abandon the cause before it’s too late.”
“And what about me? Thinking about jumping ship?”
She swirls her drink twice before looking me straight in the eye to answer. “Not anymore.” Upon setting her drink down, she leans forward and puts all pretense behind her. “In the beginning, I wanted to keep you as far away from me as possible for reasons that seem very silly to me now. My conclusion on our relationship is very clear to me currently.”
“And that conclusion is?”
“That I’m happy. I genuinely can’t tell you the last time I felt this way about life, let alone a relationship.” She smilesconfidently. “You have given me purpose outside of my career and for so long I didn’t realize I needed that.”
There’s nothing I can say to match her confession so I just reach across the table and trap her hands in mine once again. “Raleigh, you’ve given me the shakeup that I never expected to get.” She snorts, but I hold firm and search to find the words that are worthy of her. “You are a brightness that I’m so glad I let into my life. All the edges that you call rough give you the personality and the life that I have completely fallen in love with. Your sense of humor, your under the radar creativity, the way you stand up for yourself in this town. I’ve never known anyone like you, and I hope you’ll keep letting me know you for a long time to come.”
There are tears in her eyes now, something I hadn’t wanted but will welcome with open arms. She’s rarely an emotional woman, but I think that might be because she’s never been given the space to share that emotion.
Tears still threatening her eyes, she pushes her mostly empty plate away from her and leans in close to whisper, “Do you want to go home and whisper more kind things like that in my ear while I fall asleep?”
I can’t help but roll my eyes with a smirk. Ever the teaser, I nod and raise my hand to flag downa waiter.
***
Raleigh’s apartment has become like a second home to me in these past few weeks. My things have naturally made their way here and Raleigh has made room for me every step of the way. Even some of my clothes have found a place in a drawer. I smile at the thought as I pull a clean shirt over my head and toss my dinner outfit over my arm.
Exiting out into the living room, I spy Raleigh’s shadow moving around her bedroom. Carefully draping my clothes over the back of the couch and pushing my shoes out of the way, I maneuver to her kitchen to pour us both a glass of whiskey. It’s certainly not my first choice for a drink, but it’s definitely Raleigh’s. I grab her favorite pair of cups: matching crystalline glasses with shards of Mae’s first vinyl pressing inlaid in the thick glass bottom.
When I return the decanter to its tray, arms wrap around me from behind. I quickly turn to the side to gather Raleigh in front of me. She sighs when we change places, and I’m the one to wrap her up and place my chin on the top of her head. She practically curls up against me.
“You make me feel safe,” she states so naturally.
I can do nothing but hug her tighter at that comment. All I’ve ever wanted to do was to make others feel safe, whether that was in the form of body, heart, or soul. I hope I can offer Raleigh the refuge for all three. I hope that in all of her adventures, all of her achievements, I can always offer her a safe place to land.
