Over the top of her wineglass, Pooja’s brown eyes bore into mine.
“Like you hung the fucking moon.”
By the time our Uber drops Pooja off at the airport and then takes me back home, it’s after 8PM. When I walk through the front door, the silence of the empty house is deafening and the thought of spending the night alone suddenly feels unappealing. Keys in hand, I rotate on my heel, shutting the door behind me as I head to my car.
I keep my windows down, letting the breeze blow through my hair. The night air is cool and crisp, and the setting sun paints a perfect backdrop for an evening drive. I don’t even realize where I’m headed until I reach a small house with a forest-green exterior. There’s a man sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, and when my car pulls into the driveway, the dog resting at his feet lifts his head.
As soon as I step out of the car, Diesel leaps up and races toward me, bouncing off the ground with a series of happy, high-pitched barks.
“Hey there, buddy,” I say as I reach forward to pet him. “I know, I missed you too.”
Jesse steps off the porch and makes his way over to me. He’s wearing a white undershirt and a pair of gray joggers. The sight of him turns my mouth dry.
“Hey.”
“Hi,” I say. “I hope it’s okay that I just showed up.”
“You’re always welcome here,” he says. His eyes are fixed on mine, steady and firm, and I know he means it.
I glance behind him, taking in the perfectly domestic setupof the front porch. A pitcher of lemonade sits between two rocking chairs and there’s a flannel blanket and small dish of water on the ground for Diesel. There’s a tented book on Jesse’s chair, and the other is vacant, like it’s been waiting for me. Like I’m the missing piece to this scenic puzzle.
My gaze drifts over to Jesse’s book, then snags on the familiar cover. I turn to him, stunned.
“You’re readingThe Felix Files?”
There’s a hint of sheepish pink on Jesse’s cheeks. “You left it here the other day. And they say you should read the book before seeing the movie.”
My chest warms. He’s reading this book for me. Because it’s important to me. I can’t think of anything that would make me feel more supported than I do right now.
I take a step forward, closing the space between us.
“Do you mind if we go inside?”
Jesse reaches forward to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”
28JESSE
Diesel is waiting impatiently at my feet as I flip over the bacon and eggs in the griddle pan. When he lets out a long, pathetic whimper, I cave, breaking off a small piece of meat, tossing it onto the floor. He snorts with pleasure as he gobbles it up and Marissa laughs from her spot at the kitchen counter.
“Look at you. A big softie for your child.”
I shrug my shoulders with a grin. “Life is short. Especially for dogs. They deserve to be happy during their brief time on earth.”
She nods. “Couldn’t agree more.”
Our breakfast is ready a few minutes later, so I scoop everything onto two plates and carry them over to the counter. Marissa takes a bite and moans appreciatively.
“This is amazing,” she says. “I can’t remember the last time I had bacon.”
“Guess you’ll have to hang out here more often,” I tell her.
She grins. “Guess I will.” She reaches across my lap to take hold of my hand and gives it a squeeze. A pleasurable zing runs through me, and I tighten my grip. We eat the rest of our breakfast like that, because even though it’s awkward to hold my fork in my left hand, there’s not a chance I’m going to let go before she does.
I’m still thinking about how it felt when she pulled into my driveway last night. How she smiled at me as she reached out to pet Diesel, who was just as happy to see her as I was. It was the most natural thing in the world, watching her come home to me. Like it was the way things had always been.
“So, what else is on the agenda for today?” I ask as I finish the last of my eggs.
Marissa uses her free hand to root around in her tote bag. She extracts a stack of bound papers and lays it next to her breakfast plate. “Pooja sent over a script, and I need to run lines. I’m doing a chemistry test in a few weeks with some of the guys auditioning to play my husband.”
