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“Trey?” I play with the waistband of his briefs where his happy trail begins. He never zipped up his pants after our romp.
“Yeah?”
“I was thinking, when we get home, I could maybe make dinner.” I pause.
“Okay, that was random,” he says, assuming I was done.
“For you and your mom.” I feel his body go rigid, his hand tensing on my shoulder.
“Really?” He looks down at me, and I sit up, straddling him in all my naked glory. I need him to understand that I’m willing to do anything for our love, even if that means tolerating that worthless troll, he deserves nothing but my devoted love and unconditional support. His hands find their favorite place on my hips where he draws tiny little circles with the pads of his thumbs. I know he’s using it as a tool of distraction, putting a veil over his emotions.
My sensitive Trey.
No matter what women say, there is nothing sexier than a man who can build you a fire, smack your ass and pull your hair in the bedroom, defend you with honor, then show you their sensitive side.
“Yes, I’m willing to try for you. I can’t make promises that this will work out the way we want it to, but for you, I’ll try.” He leans forward, taking his shirt off, reaching behind him to pull it from his body. Snaking his arms though the opening of mine, his hands find the nape of my neck, pulling me against his bare chest. I want, so badly, to be able to trust his mother, but in the deepest pit of my stomach, my gut tells me not to. Tells me to push her out or do whatever I can to show her true colors. I don’t want to hurt Trey, but am I going to hurt him worse if I do nothing and she is exactly what I think she is?
“How in the fuck did I get so lucky?” He kisses just above my heart. “Lucky enough to be the one who claimed your heart.”
I revel in his sweet omission. I need to at least try to be friendly, and if I see any sort of suspicious behavior, I’ll tell him. That’s all I can do, to not only keep Trey safe, but also keep our relationship solid.
“I guess you were pretty blessed or maybe some angel up there loves you a little.” I smile absentmindedly, thinking of Pops.
“My dad is up there, whispering in your ear to stay and let me keep you.” I feel those words hit me so far down deep in my soul, paralyzing me from the inside out.
“He doesn’t tell me to stay, he tells me how to love you better. I love you more every day. Staying is not his doing, that is all my free will. I wouldn’t leave you—ever,” I whisper. Mirth dances across his soft features.
“Come here, baby.” Pulling me into him so we’re chest to chest and skin on skin, I willingly wrap my small arms around him, enjoying the contact.
“I want to take you out tonight. I’m going to draw you a bath and then I want you to get ready to watch the sunset on the beach. Yeah?”
Kissing his bare shoulder, I smile against the warm skin. He smells so damn good it’s hard to think about leaving.
“Sounds like a dream.” I can’t wait to do all the cheesy things that couples in love do and on that list of things is watching the sun set over the beach.
Trey
LEAVING SHAYLA IN THE TUB, I grab my phone and head out onto the balcony. Opening the sliding doors to the deck, I sit under the canopy. Scrolling through my contacts, I find the number I have been nervously waiting to call. My knee starts bouncing, my nervous tic kicking in. Biting my thumb in anticipation, I listen to each ring and swear they get slower with each one.
“Hey, baby.” Kathy’s voice filters through the line and I smile. No matter what happens with Gwen, she’ll never take Kathy’s place. She’s been a loving mother to me and never once forced me to love her back, it came willingly. Kathy never let me down. Even standing beside me when I was a fucking hellion. I didn’t like her marrying my dad at first, I had no problem with letting her know right away. But she stayed patient and constant with me, because she was the light I needed and a blessing my father deserved after Gwen left. A thousand thank-yous could never suffice.
“Hi, Mom.” I hear her sigh, like it’s the first time I’ve ever called her mom—she does it every time. She could never have kids of her own so I’m the closest thing she’s ever had to one. I feel like she has been in my life since my first memories, that’s how involved and attentive she was to me, making sure I was taken care of, loved, looked after.
“How’s the trip going? Oh, was she surprised? Oh, honey, does she love it?” I laugh at her enthusiasm; she helped me get all this together in such a short time. Kathy found the rental house while I booked the flight and rental car. We’re a great team, damn it. I could have used my dad’s beach house, but this is a baby step, I’m not there yet, I still can’t even go home to Portland.
“She was, and she does. Thanks for helping me out with all this. We needed it.”
“Anytime, my boy. So, why aren’t you showing her off around town? What’s up?” Kathy knows me too well, reading me like a damn book. Her voice lost its earlier peppy tone and now she’s talking with curious reservation.
“Well, I just want to let you know that tonight’s the night.” I pause briefly, taking one more deep breath. “I’m asking Shayla to marry me, Mom.” I hear her delighted sob followed by her scream. I yank the phone away from my ear, thrusting it in front of me. Shit that hurt.
“Oh my God! Trey! I’m so excited!” I can see her now, just jumping around and pacing the house.
“Thanks, I’m excited, nervous, but so damn ready, Mom.”
“Oh, Trey. Your father and I are—” She stops, and I hear the faint sound of a sniffle and just like she felt that sting, so did I. Pops isn’t here, and I can’t share this moment in person with him. Only by spirit. “Your father would be so proud, I’m so proud.” I know Kathy still struggles to the replace all the ‘your father is’ with ‘your father would or was.’ I struggle with this every day, that familiar pain happening to me each time.
“I know, I’m doing this with him in my mind, I know he’d be proud.” We don’t speak for a few moments as if the silence is a prayer sent to tell Pops we are thinking of him. She finally speaks first, changing the subject.
