Chapter 54
fifty-four
JO
I’m not bad at things. I see things I want to do and master them. Yet here I am, missing a fucking hay bale with a bright red target on it from an embarrassingly close distance. Ezra is patiently trying to help me while Maverick lists off all the shows we need to watch together.
“We don’t have a TV, Mav,” I say over my shoulder. Putting on a movie I’ve seen so I can space out and not pay attention is one thing, but having to watch an entire series that requires concentration isn’t something three of us can do with only a laptop screen.
“Darren is dropping one off in an hour,” he says casually. I click the safety on and lower the gun before turning to face him.
“Please tell me you didn’t text Darren and ask him to go get us a TV, which you can only buy in the closest city, which is an hour from here, and then ask him to drive it to us, which is twenty minutes away from his house.”
“That’s why you asked for his number,” Ezra adds, sighing. “I’m going to owe that man an expensive bottle of scotch after this trip.”
“I wouldn’t do that!” Maverick protests. “I gave him money, and he had it delivered to his house. It showed up today, so he’s dropping it off.”
I feel like I should point out that as the only doctor in town, Darren definitely has better things to do than deliver electronics, but I’m too excited about a bigger screen to mention it.
“We can watch Jasper’s ass now,” I say.
“I don’t think I like you saying that anymore,” Maverick says with a frown. “But I can’t deny how much I love to stare at that man’s ass in those pants.”
“I hate this,” Ezra groans. “I’m calling Jasper and telling him to wear looser pants.”
“Tell him I say hi and that I miss him,” Maverick calls as Ezra walks away, chuckling when Ezra flips him off. “Alright, I’m cold.”
I am too, so I carefully put the gun back into the case and lock it with the code, before grabbing it with one hand and Maverick’s hand in the other. He pulls me into him and kisses me, his tongue feeling especially hot when it teases my cold lips. It’s so surreal getting to be with him like this.
“Darren’s car just entered the perimeter,” Ezra calls.
Maverick snorts. “I see why you called him G. I. Jackass.”
He smiles at me while I laugh, walking hand in hand back to the little cliffside cottage that went from feeling like a prison to feeling like a happy home.
“He should be resting,” Darren says. He’s standing next to Maverick and me while we watch Ezra check the cameras, and I think look for footprints. I have no idea why, but he’s spending a lot of time staring at the ground and walking around.
I snort. “I don’t think that man knows what rest is.”
“He used to,” Maverick says sadly.
Darren sighs and rubs his shiny head. “Try to get him to at least sit for a few.”
“We will. Thank you for bringing this. You really didn’t have to,” I say, shooting a glare at Maverick.
Darren chuckles. “I don’t even want to know how much you paid to have this shipped the same day to my house in the middle of nowhere.”
“Uh, probably not.” Maverick at least looks embarrassed.
“What’s he doing?” Darren asks, his concerned eyes following Ezra’s movements between the trees.
“We have trail cams to watch the wildlife.” Which is half true. I do sometimes watch animals on the cameras with Ezra. There’s not a lot to do here. It’s usually just squirrels and a raccoon. There was a bear once though, and that was really exciting for us.
Jesus, my life has become so boring.
“If you’re wondering why he needs to check them right now, we don’t know either.” Maverick shrugs, never taking his eyes off Ezra. I think part of him is still scared he’s going to disappear any minute. Which I can’t blame him for, but Ezra doesn’t seem like the type that likes to be hovered over.
I’m keeping my distance from Maverick while Darren is here.
As far as he knows, Maverick is the boyfriend Ezra mentioned.
Or more accurately, Ben mentioned. It was chaos when Darren was here last, and I didn’t think to tell Maverick to use a fake name.
The lies are piling up, and it’s making me fidgety.
I’m sure Martha is going to figure out who Maverick is, if she hasn’t already, and it would take less than a minute to connect him to Ezra.
And probably less time to figure out that Ben and Ezra are the same person.
“I know you’re all staring at me. I’m fine!” Ezra calls from where he’s adjusting a camera while looking at it on his phone.
Darren sighs before turning to me. “Call me if you need me.” Maverick and I quickly thank him and watch him slowly drive down the dirt path out to the main road.
The moment his car is out of sight, Maverick moves to my side and slips his arm around my waist. He’s always been physically affectionate with me, but it feels different now.
“It’s like I was breathing through a thick fabric, but now I’m free to breathe in the fresh air,” he says, reading my thoughts.
It’s going to take me a long time to believe he has romantic feelings for me.
I can already feel my brain telling me to push him away because he’s going to hurt me.
And maybe he will. The likelihood of our non-traditional relationship failing is pretty high, but I know I need to try to make it work or I’ll end up regretting it for the rest of my life.