Iris has been that for him since she came into our lives.
She’s the best thing that ever happened to us, and I messed everything up.
Alex’s gaze flickers over and catches me standing there. Hismouth tips up, small but real. “Hey,” he says quietly. Iris lifts her head too, a strand of hair falling over her glasses as she smiles at me.
“Hey, you two.” I hold up the grocery bags for something to do instead of staring like a dumbass.“Got the stuff you wanted.”
Alex’s lips quirk up. “Thanks.”
His voice is still scratchy and quieter than I’m used to, but he sounds better every day.
I drop the bags on the kitchen counter before joining them. Iris’s pencil moves in careful strokes while she keeps her sketchbook angled so Alex can see. “Whatcha drawing?”
“Alex playing his guitar,” she responds without looking up.
Alex looks down at the drawing with a frown, leaning further into Iris. “Figured since I can’t play anymore, I should at least remember I could.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “You’ll play again. Might take some time, but you will. I promise.”
Alex doesn’t answer, staying focused on the drawing. His good hand lifts, brushing lightly against the paper, careful not to smudge it. “I like it. Looks like me, but not all messed up.”
“It is you, Alex,” Iris says, gentle but certain. “You’ll be healed up in no time.”
“She’s got you looking cooler than you really do, though,” I tease, reaching out to ruffle his hair, earning a huff of breath that might almost be a laugh.
“Still cooler than you.”
While he’s staring down at the drawing, I look at Iris and find her looking back, and even though we don’t say anything, it feels like we’re silently agreeing that we’ll keep him safe, together.
I clear my throat, forcing my voice steady. “Alright, I’m gonna get started on dinner before you two starve.”
Once I’m in the kitchen, getting stuff out, I hear Alex speak up again. “Can you make the pick my blue one? It’s my favorite.”
“Of course.”
I watch them for a moment longer, Iris drawing lines on the page, Alex’s head on her shoulder. Seeing them together, Iris taking care of him, Alex trusting her completely…
I just can’t let her go.
It’s late.
Iris is beside me at the counter, drying the last plate, her hair falling out of the bun she put it up in.
She’s beautiful.
And right now, it feels peaceful, like we could do this every night.
Until she finishes drying, sets the plate down, and turns to me. “I should head home.”
“What?” I wipe my hands on the dish towel, turning to face her. “Why? You don’t gotta leave.”
She doesn’t look at me right away, folding the towel and putting it back on the stove. “I do, Nate.”
“Why? You’ve been with me all week, Iris. We want you here.Iwant you here.”
She finally meets my eyes, and the look in them hurts more than I can explain. “Nate. We’re not together anymore.”
“But I thought—” The words tumble out, even though I know how stupid I sound saying them. “I thought we were getting back there. You’ve been here, you’ve been helping with Alex. It felt like—”
