Chapter 12
BEAU
Afew weeks later, a rapid-fire knock came at the door around ten in the morning.
Lea was at work, but I was at my desk in my room, as usual. There was a two-second pause, and then another round of machine gun knocks.
Who would be knocking on Lea’s door like that?
Curiosity twined with a bit of fear as I got up and went to the door to look through the peephole.
There was a woman out there. A tall woman with short blonde hair styled in a bob, big black sunglasses, and a giant suitcase beside her.
Who was that? Had she come to the wrong apartment? And what was the protocol here? This wasn’t my apartment, and I didn’t think I should let people in when Lea wasn’t around. Right?
I cleared my throat and said, “Can I help you?”
“Don’t play games with me Leander, it was a long flight and I really need some R&R because Mom and Dad have been getting on my nerves lately. And why are you doing a weird deep voice?”
Okay, she definitely had the right apartment. Was that…was she Lea’s sister? I realized I didn’t know anything about Lea’s family—or that he even had one.
What if he didn’t like his family? What if this was a very unwelcome visit? Should I turn her away?
But the way she’d spoken had sounded like they were really familiar with each other…
I slid the chain off, unlocked the deadbolt and cracked the door open.
The woman pushed her sunglasses up to the top of her head and blinked dark blue eyes at me. Her gaze slowly trailed all the way down to my toes, then back to my face.
“You’re not Lea,” she noted.
“Um, no, I’m—”
Her eyes blew wide and she yelled, “Oh my god!! Oh my god, it’s you! You’re him!”
She shoved the door open and swept inside, rolling her enormous suitcase behind her. After kicking the door closed and dropping her suitcase, she clasped my hands in hers.
I had no idea what was happening.
“I have been dying to meet you. Dying. Here, come here,” she ordered, dragging me toward the couch. She sat me down then plopped beside me, never letting go of my hands. “Tell me everything. I want to know every last detail. Wait, first, tell me your name.”
I stared at her. “Um. Beau.”
“Beau!” She sighed in delight. “It’s so perfect. Ugh. You guys are already to die for. Okay.” She bounced our joined hands up and down. “What do you do, Beau? Tell me all about yourself. And don’t leave anything out. Not. A. Thing.”
My mind was a tornado of panic and confusion that was making me dizzy.
“Wow,” she said before I could get a word out. “Wow. No wonder he loves you. Just look at those freckles. Gosh, you’re gorgeous. Okay. Sorry, sorry. Now you can tell me.”
It felt like someone was squeezing my lungs right now. My heart slammed against my rib cage as I tried to find words to say. “Um…I d-do medical coding for an insurance company based out of Florida.”
“Wooow,” she gushed. “You’re like a computer whiz. That’s so neat. I never thought Lea would be into that but here we are! Where is he anyway? Lea!” she called over her shoulder.
“He’s not—he’s at work,” I said.
“Well, more time for us to get to know each other. We’re going to be family, after all.”
I froze. Family? Before I could ask her what she meant, or even what was happening, she kept talking.
“Lea hasn’t said anything about that yet but I’m positive you’re the one.
He hasn’t dated anyone in so long that this must mean you’re very special.
I mean, he doesn’t even kiss anyone, for heaven’s sake.
” She rolled her eyes, then smiled warmly at me and squeezed my hands.
“It’s such a blessing he’s found you. And you’re so sweet!
I can already tell, you’re perfect for him.
He really needs someone who treats him right, especially after what that asshole Lyle did.
” She scowled shook her head. “I’ll rip his balls off if I ever see him again. ”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but a sickening dread began to sink low in my gut. Because…no. Wait. What? Did she think—
“Beau, dear, is the guest room still available? I could use a nap after that journey and—no offense—but this couch isn’t very comfortable.” She pressed down on one of the cushions and made a dissatisfied noise in the back of her throat.
I needed to tell her she was wrong.
I needed to call Lea.
I needed to breathe before I passed out and couldn’t do any of those things.
“It’s so, so good to finally meet you. You have no idea how worried we’ve all been about Lea.
To tell you the truth, we kind of thought he was lying just to shut us up.
I’m so happy you’re real,” she said, smiling broadly.
She released one of my hands so she could cup my cheek, then pinched it lightly. “Anywho, is the guest room ready?”
“Um, yes, I—the guest room?” I really needed Lea to be here.
Right now. I was so lost, and if what I suspected was true, then she thought Lea and I were together.
Like that. I had no idea what he’d been telling his family to make her think that, and I didn’t want to be the one to blow the top off of anything.
My need to end this entire interaction without upsetting her—and having that directed at me—won out by a landslide, and I said, “Just—can you hold on for a moment? I have to—to move some things out of that room first.”
“No problem, I’ll be right here. I’m just gonna let Lea know I’m here. He’s gonna freak,” she said, already lost in her phone.
Oh, it was pathetic the lengths I would go to to avoid confrontation. Truly pathetic.
All it would take were a few words to clear things up, but instead of telling her she was mistaken, I was racing down the hall to move all my things out of my own room.
I went back and forth between Lea’s room and mine until all my possessions—except for my computer equipment, moving all of that would take too long, I could ask him to help me later—were in Lea’s room.
I made up the bed with new linen for his sister.
By the time it looked like I hadn’t been living in it, I was sweating bullets.
I walked calmly back to the living room, where—
Wait. I didn’t even know her name. But I couldn’t ask her her name because shouldn’t that be something that Lea’s boyfriend knew? But she hadn’t known my name. Or…the name of Lea’s boyfriend? Imaginary boyfriend? Maybe he actually had a real partner? No, that couldn’t be.
I grabbed the hair at the nape of my neck and tugged.
How in the hell did this day turn out like this?
“Hey, it’s all ready,” I told her. “Did you—did you want something to drink? Or eat?” A boyfriend would try to be a good host, right? Not that Lea really had much food. All I had to offer were some crackers and a cola.
Lea’s sister looked over at me and said, “No, I’m okay.
Thanks so much, Beau, darling.” She stood up and grabbed her suitcase, then leaned in, cupped my cheek, and kissed it.
I was blushing furiously when she pulled back to look at me with the warmest expression on her face.
“Ugh, you are perfect. Perfect!” Then she was walking down the hall with her suitcase rolling behind her.
When I heard the door snick shut, I sank onto the couch in total disbelief.
I curled up on one side, resting my head on my arm, and shut my eyes. This wasn’t real. It wasn’t happening.
I must have drifted off, because someone’s hand was petting over my head, light, gentle strokes through the buzzcut near my ears.
A soft, melodic voice cut through the haze. “Beau?”
Lea.
My eyes flew open to find him sitting on the coffee table in front of me.
Images of a tall woman with blond hair flashed through my mind—along with all the intense emotions that her arrival had dredged up. Panic, rising anxiety, an awful dread.
A desperate need for Lea.
Had that been a dream? A weird subconscious fantasy played out behind my eyelids? Lea’s sister, me moving all my things into Lea’s room, her thinking I was dating him?
But Lea’s next words answered that question. “Beau, why is all your stuff in my room?” His lips twitched as he kept running his thumb along the side of my head in slow, gentle strokes. “Did Judy kick you out? Because if she did, I’ll kick her out.”
I blinked at him and wondered what I’d even say. We should probably go to his room and have this conversation in private.
When I spoke, it sounded like I was being strangled. “Lea, can I t-talk to you? In private?”
He looked amused and more than a little confused, but said, “Yeah. Of course. Did Judy force you out of your room?”
“Not exactly,” I admitted.
No, she didn’t force a single thing—I was just so cowardly that I hadn’t been able to tell her the truth.
Lea stood up and held out his hand to me. I took it, letting him help me to my feet and was disappointed when he let go.
When the door was shut—I flipped the lock just in case—I stepped closer to Lea, who was looking at all my stuff I’d piled neatly in one corner.
And then I realized that he probably knew from his sister that she thought I was his boyfriend. Horror scraped down my back, anxiety swelling. Did he think I told her that? Did he think I’d said that on purpose? Oh, god, he was probably so upset with me right now. Disgusted, even.
I couldn’t look at him. I didn’t want to see it on his face, so I turned toward the window and stared at nothing, trying to make my words not shake so much.
“I didn’t—I didn’t tell her anything, I didn’t even know who she was at first, but she—she just started talking about me and you and I didn’t know what was happening, I swear, Lea, I didn’t know, and I—”
A hand settled on my shoulder, squeezing gently.
“Hey, it’s okay. Calm down. Take a deep breath and just try to calm down.
Everything’s all right, Beau. I’m not upset with you at all.
I just want to know if Judy made you move out of your room.
I would ask her, but she’s not even here and she’s not answering her phone.
Lord knows what she’s up to. God help Blue Harbor. ”