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Chapter Fourteen
Willow
I shake my head at the case of Yoo-hoo Tegan sets in the buggy, then step past him to grab a couple bottles of juice to offset the overly sweet drink.
“I seriously have no clue how you stay so fit with all the junk that’s in this buggy. Do you normally shop like this?”
He leans across the shopping cart and gives me a kiss.
“What can I say? I have a sweet tooth.” He winks and pulls back, leading the way to the next aisle, where I’m sure he’ll find something else sweet to toss inside.
When Tegan announced we were going grocery shopping this morning, I grumbled and begged to get out of it. I hate grocery shopping. To me, it’s a tedious job that I only do to survive, and I always wait until the last minute. We only had mayo, one slice of cheese, and an egg, so we needed food, but I was hoping he would volunteer to go by himself. Unfortunately, he dragged me out of bed and threw me in the shower and told me that if I wasn’t ready in twenty minutes, he was dragging me out of the house in whatever state I was in.
Today, however, I’ve learned that shopping can be quite enjoyable. Or it can be if Tegan is your shopping partner. He’s a very happy shopper, and I’ve never laughed so hard before.
“Which one?” he asks, holding up Chips Ahoy and Oreos. Before I get a chance to tell him neither, he throws both in the buggy. “Both. I can’t decide.”
I laugh and follow him, stopping just long enough to throw in a box of granola bars.
Today marks a week I’ve been living with Tegan and three days since we’ve had dinner with his dad and Samantha. To say Minnie was shocked when I told her I was going to be staying with Tegan for the time being is a big understatement. She pulled me to the side and grilled me. Although she knows we’ve being seeing each other regularly, she had no clue it was so serious. To be honest, I had no idea it was so serious either. My feelings for him snuck up on me and one day just smacked me in the face. I like it though. I feel safe and free with Tegan. When I told Minnie this, she pulled me in her arms and said she was happy for me and wished me luck.
The night we left his dad’s house, Tegan was very quiet. I know he had a lot of things on his mind, so I kept my distance, but still watched him, just in case he needed me. I was in bed later that evening with a purring Charlie—I named his cat—while Tegan showered. I felt the bed dip, and seconds later his arms were around me. Our lovemaking was quiet, but fierce, like he was trying to exorcise his thoughts from his mind by using my body. I was perfectly fine with that. Whatever he needed, I would give him. I would give him almost anything.
The next day, he was back to his happy-go-lucky self. But I worry about tomorrow. He’s due to go back for another visit to his mom. I want to offer to go, but I’m not sure if it’s my place. I know my feelings for Tegan are strong, and from what he said the other day and his actions, I feel like his are just as strong as mine. But I don’t know if he’ll want me there. I’m going to bring the subject up tonight. I want to be there for him, even if what he says is true and the thought of his mom dying doesn’t bother him.
He stops abruptly, and I have to slam to a stop to keep from ramming his heels with the shopping cart. He spins around. “I forgot something. I’ll be right back. Grab a bag of gummy worms for me, please.”
Before I can respond, he walks off, whistling some random tune. He’s such a goofball sometimes, but damned if I don’t love him.
I screech to a stop, my eyes going wide.
“I love Tegan. I love Tegan.” I repeat it over and over. A slow smile creeps over my face when I realize how right it feels to say it out loud and how happy it makes me. I definitely love Tegan. I knew the other day on his way to his dad’s I was falling in love, but now I realize I’ve fallen, and fallen hard. The excitement I feel whenever I know I’m going to see him, the sadness I feel when I have to leave him, the butterflies I get whenever I’m with him—there’s no other feeling beside love that would cause those things. Tegan is the person that makes me the happiest.
My step is light, and I know my face carries a big silly grin as I move on to the next aisle. I want to scream it to everyone I pass. I want to jump in Tegan’s arms and whisper it in his ear when I see him. But I know I can’t do that, because when I do tell him I love him, I’ll want him to make love to me. I may be getting braver with public exposure, but I know I’ll never be okay with having sex in the middle of a grocery store.
I happily grab Tegan’s gummy worms, not even worrying they aren’t healthy, then make my way to the next aisle. I find my favorite brand of cereal on the top shelf. I’ve never understood why they make shelves so high, when a person with average height can’t reach the items.
I’m just about to do a no-no and climb on the bottom shelf when an arm appears in my line of sight.
“Here, let me grab that for you.”
The cereal is picked up and placed in my hand. I look up and find a man about my age smiling at me. He’s cute with dark blond hair and deep brown eyes, face shaved clean, and a dimple on his right cheek.
“Thank you.”
His smile widens. “My pleasure. You know you’re not supposed to step on the bottom shelf, right?” he says pointedly, then looks to the shelf where it plainly says to ask for an associate for items on the top shelf.
“Maybe if they wouldn’t make these things so tall, people like me wouldn’t need to do that.”
He laughs and it comes out rich and deep.
“My name’s Gage.” He holds out his hand.
Not wanting to appear rude, I shake it. “I’m Willow.”
His hand lingers in mine a bit longer than necessary. “A very beautiful name. It sounds soft and graceful. Fitting for a beautiful lady like yourself.”
I smile, but I know it lacks depth. He seems like a nice guy, even if he is putting it on somewhat thick.
“Thank you for grabbing this.” I lift the box, then set it in the cart. “I should get going.”
“I know this is forward,” he says before I can turn my cart around. “But would you like to have coffee with me?”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, but—”
A hard arm wraps around my waist, and I’m pulled to Tegan’s side. His warmth immediately fills me.
“Can I help you?” he asks the man. I smile inside at the hard edge of his tone, because I know he had to have heard the man ask me out, and he didn’t like it. Stupid man needs to realize he’s the only one for me and he has nothing to worry about.
Gage keeps his smile, but it loses some of its flair, along with the dimple. “Nope. Just helping your girl out with something on the top shelf.”
Tegan nods, then grunts, “Thanks, but you can leave now.”
Gages looks at me, and the dimple returns. “It was nice meeting you, Willow.”
He turns and walks off. I slap Tegan’s stomach and turn to face him. I can’t keep the smile off my face. I’m still on the high of realizing I love him.
“You didn’t have to be so rude.”
