Time to take the plunge.
“Where do you see this going?” I asked at length.
A wave of emotions crossed his face. “This might be worse.”
“Why do you think that?” I asked.
“Because it feels like a break up still, only a little less mean, but I don’t think that makes it better.” He tried to take his hand back, but I kept my fingers squeezed around his.
“It’s not, but it’s important to me. Answer the question.”
“You told me you aren’t staying here, so what are my options, Avery?”
Shivering, I tried not to let it distract me. “Is that why you’ve been silent? You thought I’d checked out so you did too?”
“No. I spent yesterday looking into selling my business.”
I gasped. “You can’t do that!”
“I’ll do what I damn well please.”
“We’ve not been seeing each other that long.”
“Av, I’ve known I wanted to be with you since we were sixteen years old. Not one day has changed that for me. I made a mistake and I can’t take it back, but I’m not letting you slip through my fingers this time. If your kid needs to be in Cali then that’s where I’m going to be. I’m going to follow you.”
I couldn’t stand it anymore. I closed the distance between us and wrapped him up in a hug. “Please don’t sell your business—”
“You cannot ask me not to do this. Not unless you tell me right here and right now you don’t want me, Av.”
“Will you let me finish.”
“Sorry…”
I eyed him to make sure he was done. “I think Ellie and I are going to try living here for a little while which is why I was asking if you’re serious about us. I can’t do all this and stay here only to be your secret. I want a real relationship with you. I want to be able to walk down the street and hold your hand. I want my parents to know—eventually. I don’t want to be your secret.”
Realization dawned on him. “Is that what you think this is?”
“What?” Had I fucked it up somehow? Did he not want a relationship with me? Shit.
“I was sneaking around for your benefit, not mine. Everyone in town probably thinks I’m not interested in anyone since I don’t date. I’m not hiding who I am. My demons are dead and buried.”
“Oh. So you’re not still in the closet?”
“Where do you think I meet men to hook up with?”
I scowled, the revelation not easing my possessive spike any.
He leaned down, brushing his lips over mine. “Don’t like that much do you?”
“I don’t like it at all.”
“It’s never going to happen again. I am committed to this guy I like.”
“You like a guy?” I asked, acting shocked and betrayed.
“I do. I’m pretty damn partial and I’m going to chase him until he lets me in, then I’m going to chase him some more until he realizes he is it, the one for me.”
“He’s starting to get some idea,” I said, playing along felt so natural.
“Good,” he said into my lips, wrapping me up in a big bear hug. “Are we telling your parents?”
“Like I said, eventually.”
He cocked his head and raised his brow.
I pushed it back down with a soft fingertip. “I’m not ready for them to be fully up in my business yet, but I do want you to come hang out.”
“Hang out here?”
“Yes…”
“With your kid?” he asked, searching my face.
“I talked to Adam about it and he had a lot of good advice. He told me I’d be doing you and Ellie a disservice keeping you two apart. That she deserves to know the person I’m seeing before we make a more serious jump. So you’re going to be my best friend to her if that’s okay with you?” I cringed. I’d never asked how he felt about kids.
“I’d like that.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m glad we don’t have to hide from your family anymore. Felt like we were back in high school.” He kissed my temple and started towards the door.
“Wait,” I said, almost forgetting the other half of the conversation we had to have.
He turned around. “Yes?”
“I don’t know if any of this will work. I wanted to make sure you were in this before I even attempted the other part.”
He considered for a moment. “You mean your ex?”
“Yes.” I shoved my hands into my pockets and blew up a lock of my hair in a huff. “She’s the wild card.”
“We’ll work it out. If she won’t let you move here with Ellie then I’ll move there. One way or another we are going to be together. We are solid, please don’t let that weigh heavy on your shoulders too.”
I grabbed him again, burying my face in his shoulder. I’d come back to Arrowood with no one, and suddenly it felt like I had a team on my side again. A family. My family. I didn’t deserve any of this, but I guess that’s what real families did. They loved, they forgave, and they were there for you.
I hugged him tighter to me and when he tried to pull away, I redoubled my effort.
“Av.”
“Let me stay here for a minute.”
“Your parents are watching out the window.”
“Shit.”
I couldn’t make eye contact with anyone as we stood around the kitchen island. Ellie kept popping her head up over the sofa to stare at us.
“Did someone die?” she asked.
“Why would you think that?” I looked at my parents like they had somehow corrupted her in the time she’d spent with them.
“People die, Dad, you let me watch Land Before Time, Little Foot gets separated from his parents and they die. Don’t you remember?”
“Yeah, Dad,” Danny repeated.
“He gets it. Whoever he is.” Ellie looked at him hard. “Is he another one of your brothers?” she asked.
Danny coughed, wheezing in a fit of laughter.
“No!”
“So not into that,” Danny said when he could get words out.
I shot him a glare. “He’s a really good friend of mine since grade school. His name is Danny.”
She narrowed her tiny eyes and stared at him until it was awkward. “Okay.”
Danny kept laughing.
I rolled my eyes. “So that wasn’t what it looks like.”
My mom turned to my dad. “Why do our kids think we are dumb?”
“Beats me. They all think they can sneak around like we didn’t know you two were a thing in high school,” my dad said.
Danny stopped laughing to just stare at them.
“You two knew?” I asked.
“Yes, dear, we knew. You and your brothers are not as sneaky as you think you are.” My mother smiled at me. “Why do you think we encouraged you two to hang out? We hoped you’d decide to stay. We want you and Ellie around.”
“It’s true. Your mother is selfish and I can’t blame her. We missed you, but we like your kid better than you and your brothers combined,” my dad added.