52. Kodi
CHAPTER 52
“We’re not going back to your parents’. You have twigs in your hair.”
I reach up into the rat's nest of tangles that I somehow managed to coral into an elastic after Brian and I rinsed off our post-coital sweat in the rain. One nice thing about the torrential summer thunderstorm was that we had the whole state park to ourselves. It didn’t matter that we were naked.
We’d attempted to air dry ourselves by the fire, but the meager logs that had been left by the last set of campers who’d passed through had long since burnt to ash by the time we’d gotten ourselves clean and gathered up our shirts, dresses, and pants from every corner of the picnic shelter. So we’d still been damp when we’d covered back up with all of our clothes.
Except for my underwear. Brian claimed it had fallen into the fireplace and burned away. But the mischievous gleam in his eyes as he said it had me suspecting he’d once again stolen them from me. A shiver passes through me that has little to do with the cool evening breeze that drifts across the trail on our slow walk back to the car.
I hardly want to admit it, but Lily was right. Sex really is all it’s cracked up to be.
“You said that mom and dad were worried about me. We should check in.”
“So call,” he argues. “It’s getting late, we both need a real shower, and I’m not quite ready to give up having you all to myself.” He lightly touches his hand to the base of my spine, careful to make space for my crutches.
“Mom always keeps me on the phone for hours.” I whine, but my heart isn’t in it. He’s right. I’m pretty pooped from the impromptu afternoon hike, the abundance of orgasms, and losing my virginity. Dinner with my parents after all of that would require physical and emotional energy I just don’t have, especially after this roller coaster of a day.
“I’ll keep you on task. If you want to end the conversation early, hand the phone to me. I’m pretty sure your mom won’t want to keep talking then.”
Is his voice a little bitter when he says that? It’s hard to tell if his humor is genuine after learning about his own fraught past with his parents.
Sure, my relationship with my mom isn’t perfect. I moved out as soon as I could afford it just to get out from under her thumb. But there’s a big difference between choosing to move out of your childhood home and not being allowed to return.
I must be making a face, because Brian chuckles. “Meaning, I don’t think I’m her favorite person at the moment. But don’t worry. Your dad and I seemed to part on good enough terms.”
“Oh shit!” I stop, slamming my palm to my forehead. “I totally forgot. How was golf?”
He grimaces. “We don’t need to talk about that.”
I eye him curiously. I know he’s bad at golf, but it sounds like there’s more to that story than he’s letting on. “But you said you and Dad got along?”
“Eventually.”
Nebulous. I decide not to pry and take the win. After all, we have all the time in the world to get to know each other better. And the last thing I want is to ruin what little goodwill he has with my parents by overanalyzing it with him now.
As we reach the stone steps at the edge of the trail, I pause on my crutches. “Hey.”
He turns around, reaching out a hand to support me. Without me even having to ask. I normally would shy away from someone offering me a hand walking up the stairs, but this time it’s different. Firstly, because it’s Brian, and he’s already seen me at my most vulnerable, so refusing help at this point would be futile. I don’t need to prove anything to him. He’s seen me broken, and still thinks I’m strong.
I almost even believe him.
“I hope, someday, you do get along with my parents. That even with all you’ve been through, you might be able to feel like you have a family here. Well, not here, here…” I start to ramble. “I mean, like, in Tuft Swallow. With your business and friends and–”
I’m cut off with a whoosh as Brian grabs my crutches and scoops me up into his arms in one quick movement. How–? And then he’s kissing me right on the lips, and I melt without asking any more questions.
“Oh, baby girl. I already do. More than I ever have before.”
My heart glows as he carries me all the way to my car.