Page 84 of Together Is Where We Belong

I complied and pushed the button on the side of the cushion, the recliner popped out and I propped my feet up, throwing my arm over the back of the couch.

Carolina pressed play on the movie. Luke began to sing along as the movie began.

No matter how many times I watched this movie with him, I loved seeing his excitement as the movie played like he was watching it for the first time all over again.

Just like I predicted, one moment Luke recited the movie word for word, and the next he curled up beside me, softly snoring before the halfway point.

“He played hard today,” I said as Carolina looked over at Luke and hit the button on the remote to stop the movie.

“Yeah, I was worried he’d ask lots of questions I couldn’t explain, but he took staying here in stride,” she said as she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked up at me.

I wanted to bring up the kiss.

I wanted to know where her head was.

But I didn’t ask. I couldn’t.

“You look tired,” I said instead. Her eyes looked worn and worried and completely exhausted.

“It was a long day,” she said with a yawn, causing me to yawn as well.

“Can I ask you something?” she said as she looked down at her hands and picked at her nails.

“You just did,” I said as I tried to lighten the mood.

She smiled, but it was fake. She was worried about something, and I tensed, scared that she’d gotten another threatening message.

“Are you happy, Leo?” she whispered without looking up at me.

If I were standing I’d have taken a couple steps back. I wasn’t expecting her to ask me that.

“Yeah, I am,” I said in a confused voice.

“What I mean is, are you happy with your life?”

“Where is this comin’ from?” I asked as I wished Luke weren’t sitting between us so that I could turn her head to make her look at me.

She shrugged but remained silent.

I hated that my mind went to the thought of coming home one day to find her and Luke gone. The thought only stayed in my mind for a brief second, but the feeling that came from it stayed long after it had left. My chest hurt at the thought of not having Luke in my life.

“Carolina,” I said after a beat of her not responding.

She looked over at me, as turmoil filled her eyes.

“Where is this comin’ from?” I repeated. The need to know the answer consumed me.

“Last night,” she began.

I swallowed hard. I’d wanted her to bring up our kiss, but now that she had I wished I never thought of it because I didn’t know how she felt.

“I just need to know if you’re happy in life. That I didn’t mess you up too badly,” she admitted as she looked down at her hands again as if she couldn’t handle hearing my response.

“Hey, look at me,” I demanded in a whisper.

She looked up at me, and her expression was a kick in the gut. She looked so scared of my answer.

“Why do you think you messed me up?”