“One second,” I say. There are two single bathrooms here, so I know I’m holding someone up, but I need time to come back to myself.
“Miles,” says a voice from the other side of the door. “It’s me.”
Abby.
I crack the bathroom door to the sight of a petite brunette with wide, concerned eyes and a too-sweet smile.
“Let me in.” She pushes on the door and I open it enough for her to slip in, closing and locking it behind her.
“You’re lucky this is a one-stall situation,” I say.
“I would have come in if it were a five-stall situation.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Checking on you,” she says and runs her hands down my arms in a slow, comforting gesture. I slide my arms around her waist, and she envelops me in a hug. I tuck my face into her neck.
“I’m okay,” I murmur against her skin. She smells like coconut and jasmine and something citrusy. She smells like summertime and, more than anything, she smells like mine.
“That was really brave of you,” she says.
This time when tears prick my eyes, I blink them away, not because I don’t want to cry in front of Abby, but because if I start, I don’t know when I would stop. I can’t remember the last time someone told me I was being brave. It might be the first time ever. And coming from Abby, it means everything.
I straighten, lifting her off the floor, and she wraps her legs around my waist. She strokes my hair, soothing me, running her hand down the back of my neck. There’s no buzzing when she hugs me like this—my chest isn’t tight and my thoughts don’t circle. She’s such a calming presence; I don’t think anything in the world would bother me as long as Abby is nearby.
“I thought I would be able to ask about him. To talk about him without feeling violent, but I can’t.”
“It won’t happen overnight, you know? You want things instantly—it’s just…kind of how you are. But this isn’t something you’re going to be able to fix instantly. It’ll take time.”
Her whole body lifts and lowers with my deep inhale and exhale.
“Why doesn’t Gray hate him like I do?”
I feel like a child even having the thought, but I know Abby is safe. She won’t judge me or make me feel dumb for saying these things out loud.
“He just…had a different experience of the whole thing. Maybe it’s an older-brother thing. Those protective instincts. I don’t know.”
I hold her just a little tighter and hope no one knocks on the bathroom door. A few minutes pass in silence, just Abby and me holding each other while I come back to myself fully.
“Do you want to go back out or cuddle in the bathroom for the rest of the night?” she finally asks.
“Option B.”
“Yeah, okay, fair, but I am hungry.”
I set her down, but she stays in my arms, cupping my face in her hands.
“You okay?”
I nod, offering her a small smile. “Thank you,” I say, although those words are not enough to convey how grateful I am for her checking in on me.
She leans into me and draws me in for a soft kiss.
We rejoin Gray at the table, where the appetizers have been cleared away, and Gray has a second beer in hand.
“So what’s the deal with you two?” He gestures between us as we settle back into our seats. “Did y’all just have sex in the bathroom?”
“Gray, come on,” I say as Abby practically shouts, “No!” and hides her face in her hands.
