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“Yeah, the ugly things—shit you’re ashamed of, the things you believe make up the worst side of yourself.”
I hand her a pair of chopsticks and then offer her one of the boxes. “Pad Thai?” As she accepts it, I continue, “One of my uglies is that I’m dyslexic.”
She frowns.
“I’m ashamed of it. I shouldn’t be, but I hate it and people’s reactions to it when I tell them. My parents worked hard to help me overcome my disability. But that doesn’t mean people outside my family don’t treat me like I’m an idiot who can’t read and has no idea what he’s doing just because I do stuff differently.”
“That’s not an ugly thing.” She lifts her hand, caressing my jaw. “Just means that you’re amazing and brave because you’ve had the strength to overcome it. And look at all you’ve done despite it.”
She sighs audibly and looks past me.
“My family is pretty messed up, Matt. They’re bad people. You wouldn’t like them one bit, and I’m afraid you wouldn’t like me if you knew them.”
Her eyes are overflowing with sadness, but she doesn’t let one tear fall. Now I get why she doesn’t speak about her family. They seem to be the thing that makes her sad.
“You’re my first friend in a long time, and I’m not ready to lose that yet. Can you let me have that, Matt?”
I slide over a few inches, closing the gap between us. Carefully, I pull her into my lap and embrace her.
“BFFL,” I whisper while pressing her against my chest, trying to push the sadness away.
I hate when she loses her smile, even for a minute.
“Best friends for life, Butterfly. That’s what we are. No matter what, you’re part of my life. Do you understand?”
She nods, burying her head in my chest.
“But I mean it when I say I want to take you out—and more. We can table it for now, though, and just stick toBFFLstatus.”
A day or two tops,I think to myself.
I smirk because the feeling of having her in my arms fills my heart with joy.
Thea fills a void I didn’t know existed, and it’s hungry for more. There’s just something about this violet-eyed girl. Maybe it’s the whole happy thing she has going on most of the time. Or that sincere smile. Her natural look. Her fascinating way to expose herself and yet hide behind the tattoos and flouncy clothing.
I’ve always believed there are people who are so important that they morph our needs.
Our pathway.
Our life.
They become the must-haves in your life. Aside from my family, I haven’t met anyone who should be part of that group. Not until Thea. Thea Dennis was becoming my must-have. If only I could figure out how to keep her forever. Like her, I don’t want to lose my friend, but I want to have her in my arms forever as more. Much more.
ChapterThirty-Eight
Tristan
It’s been a long day.
Correction, a long fucking week.
My plan was to stay in Seattle, but I couldn’t be here until tonight. I barely made it to the airport. I fought for a rental car with some dude who claimed he needed it to see his wife in some town called Luna Harbor. I won.
When I get to Matt’s penthouse, it’s empty. I drop my luggage in my room, take a shower, and once I’m ready, I leave.
I take a cab to Silver Moon rather than take my car. No doubt Matt will drive me back home after we close down for the night. Though I’m not in the mood for a night at yet another bar, I’m looking forward to spending some time with Thea and Matt.
They’re easy to be with, even talking with them about nothing. Ever since our hike, it’s as if we’ve become tethered, which has surprised me to no end.
