“He wasn’t treated well by your stepfamily, right?”
“No, they thought he was like our dad.”
“And your dad dipped out and went to prison when you were little. Then, your brother took off when he got old enough to escape. Your mom died. You were all alone with Skylar and a baby on the way. You must have felt overwhelmed and trapped.”
“Dan came back.”
“Yeah, but it takes time to build up that trust again.”
Nova frowned at how I didn’t kiss her brother’s ass. “I always trusted Dan.”
“He left you and didn’t come back until the funeral.”
“Why are you attacking him?”
“Just because he eventually saved you doesn’t change how he hurt you when he left.”
Nova pouted at how I didn’t worship at her brother’s shrine. Her gaze flashed to the doorway, likely thinking he was eavesdropping.
“My point isn’t to shit on your brother. But when you first moved to Baton Rouge, you didn’t trust that he wouldn’t disappear again. That’s why you were nervous. Once he proved he would keep coming back, you learned to trust him. You and I haven’t built up that trust yet.”
“I do trust you.”
“You’ve lost most of the important people in your life. It’d be weird if you didn’t have separation anxiety.”
Nova wore an annoyed expression. I smiled at her until she grudgingly mimicked me.
“You’re crazy about me,” I said, making her smile wider. “But we’re new. Why wouldn’t you feel insecure in your new life when you’re going through these changes?”
“What do I do to feel better?”
“Be patient. I’ll keep showing up and flexing my muscles until you realize I’m not going anywhere.”
Nova smiled wider and shook her head. “I think that separation anxiety idea makes sense. Maybe I do have a hang-up about people leaving.”
“And you don’t know me well enough to trust that I’ll stick around.”
“Well, you can’t control everything, and your life is dangerous.”
“It’s okay to fear the world. It’s wild out there sometimes. So, let’s sit here and talk.”
Nova scooted closer, leaving her closet sanctuary. I inched my ass toward her until I could take her hand. We watched each other, enjoying the quiet. After a few minutes, she crawled over to where I sat and rested hip to hip next to me. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and let her regain the confidence hiding under a lifetime of fears.
NOVA
My panic had left me in a dark hole for most of the day. As soon as Boone arrived, my sense of doom faded. By the time his arm was wrapped around me, I could breathe right again.
I dug into the pocket of my shorts and retrieved a picture of Eddie Murphy. Boone took it and kissed the top of my head.
“I hope you keep giving me these for the rest of my long life. Even if I get dementia, you should still hand them to me. You can remember the meaning even if I don’t.”
“What if I’m the one with dementia?”
“Then, I’ll hand them to you. When you ask what it means, I’ll say he was your ex-boyfriend that you never got over.”
Laughing, I straddled Boone. His arms wrapped around me. Our lips met. The kiss immediately deepened. There was something already familiar about his touch. Though Boone was still a stranger, I felt completely safe with him.
“You won’t leave me,” I whispered when our lips parted.
