Her hands clenched and released on me; her old, old tell that she was close to breaking.
“Sometimes these things take time,” I comforted her as I gently kissed her brow. “Give it time. You have time. You have all the time in the world now. She’s going nowhere. And neither am I.”
And then I just held her to me and let her be for the brief period that she needed.
Once she was done, Marius snuck back in with some tissues for her.
And he and Pete fed us and hovered over the two of us until I finally managed to convince her to come to bed with me.
It was a long and uncomfortable night for both of us on my small single, but she at least managed to fall asleep, cradled tightly in my arms.
I, on the other hand, lay awake into the small hours.
Worrying.
.:.
The morning dawned damp and grey.
Sam poked listlessly at her toast and bacon; she was dull-eyed and exhausted, but she managed a smile for me when I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her in against me.
“I need to go to the police station, I guess,” she grumbled. “I can’t imagine anywhere I’d less rather be on a Sunday morning.”
“Want me to come with?” I said.
“No, don’t be silly. No point in both of us wasting our morning. Stay. Rest up. You can be my stress ball later.”
Marius laughed. “I like this one, Wills,” he said.
“Better get used to me,” she retorted, with a small smile. “I plan on sticking around.”
He gave her a double thumbs up and went back to his eggs.
I made her a thermos of coffee and walked her down to her car.
“Phone me when you get there and phone me again when you’re done,” I demanded.
“I will.”
“And drive safe, please…”
“I will.”
She kissed me and hugged me so tightly that I squeaked. “Go back inside, it’s cold and miserable. Stay warm for me.”
“Will I see you later?”
“Definitely,” she breathed. “I’ll see you soon.”
“I miss you already,” I said, pretending to pout.
“Oh, Willa,” she grinned. “Don’t be so needlessly dramatic.”
I stood, huddling into my thin indoor jumper against the wind and rain, waiting patiently as she climbed into her car.
Then I sighed and climbed the worn concrete steps back up to our house.
“You okay?” Pete asked as I slunk into the kitchen.
“No. I’m fucking exhausted. Didn’t sleep much at all I was so wired. What can I help with?”
“Keep me company while I do the dishes?” he said, hopefully.
I leaned in to hug my towering, reliable and soft-hearted brother from another mother.
“So what do you think of her?” I said. I perched myself on our counter top and waited. “Does she pass muster?”
“She just might,” he answered as he put a pot aside. “But I kind of think it’s irrelevant, Wills. Because unless I’m reading the signs wrong you’re head over heels for her. You are, aren’t you?”
I frowned and looked away, sighing.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“Then what I think shouldn’t matter. For what it’s worth, though, she’s really sweet, really funny and really, really hot.”
“Yeah,” I sighed wistfully. “Yeah, she is.”
“We like her.” he said. “But… how’re you going to deal with the complications that she comes with, Wills?”
“It’s too late to worry about that, babe. I’m all in on her. There’s no escape for me from this one. I… I just really hope to fuck it’s not a mistake, and that she doesn’t grow… tired of me.”
“Well then,” he said softly. “I guess I’d better find a fourth chair for our table. It will be nice to have another hand for Rummy.”
“You and Marius really are the second best thing ever to happen to me.”
“Second… no, no just hold on, hang on a mo. We were the best thing. I remember you saying that, clear as daylight.”
“You got demoted,” I said.
I grinned up at him.
“You little rug-munching so-and-so,” he laughed. “That’s the last time I make cheesecake for you.”
“Good. It goes straight to my bum. I need to lose a bit of weight. I need to stay fit and… fit.”
“I really doubt she would care, Willa. Not given the way that woman looks at you.”
“She might not. But I do.”
.:.
The weather had deteriorated further outside so the boys and I settled down for a degenerate day of books and bad telly.
It was early afternoon before she finally phoned me.
“Hey, you,” I said, as I stood up and carried her with me to the kitchen. “I was getting worried.”
“It’s been an entertaining day,” she said. “But I was victorious in the end. Two lovely men in uniform escorted me back to the house and had a rather direct and pointed conversation with Mark while I packed a big bag of clothes and necessities and got the hell out of there.”
“I’m really relieved to hear that; I was worried for you. I’ll put some extra bedding on my bed for us, I know you were cold last night…”
“Willa… I’ve… I’ve checked into a room at the March Rider’s Arms. I was phoning to tell you. Your bed’s… well, it’s far too small for both of us, sweetie.”
“Oh,” I said, softly. “So you’re… not coming back here?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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