Round Thirty-Seven #3
“If you insist on packing up and leaving town, then give me a chance to pack my shit up too so we can follow.” He cups my jaw across the counter, squeezing just tight enough that I feel the pressure on bone.
“You left me when we were in second grade. You didn’t say goodbye.
And then I lost Aria too…” He shakes his head.
“We never got to say goodbye. I let you leave the hospital that day Jeremy got hurt,” his voice shakes, “and I didn’t say goodbye.
We didn’t have a choice in the first two situations.
It was beyond my control. The third, I chose wrong.
And dammit, Magnolia, I don’t think I’ve slept more than an hour since.
If you’re leaving Plainview, give me a chance to swing by the school and grab my son.
We’re following you. We need you.” He licks his lips, his eyes dropping to mine.
“You just have to stay still long enough to give us a chance to plead our case.”
“I didn’t sell my house.” I swallow the thick nerves nestled deep in my throat. “I wasn’t having a yard sale because I was leaving town.”
His eyes, bright green and gleaming, search mine. “You’re not?”
“I’ve spent the last two months going through my grandmother’s things, deciding what to sell and what to keep. I don’t need five dozen teapots, no matter how special they were to her.”
He tracks his thumb over my chin, stroking the underside of my bottom lip. “You weren’t selling to move?”
“No. I was selling to declutter, then all the money I made went straight to my mortgage, because I made a promise to the little boy next door that I wouldn’t leave him.” Pulling back, my heart aches and shudders. “Jeremy thought I was leaving town? Even after I promised I wouldn’t?”
“Well… He’s eight and apt to spiral when he’s emotional.” Billy’s lips curl into a wide grin. “It’s not even his fault. He got that from me.”
Ramone helps himself to my side of the counter, sidling up on my left and bumping his shoulder against mine.
“If you have a dozen kids with him, they’ll probably suffer bad moods and emotional dysregulation, too.
Maybe you should have girls. Aim for golden eyes and pockets full of sass, instead of… ” He gestures toward Billy. “That.”
“See how much I’ve healed?” Billy inserts.
“The old me would’ve punched him in his damn face for interrupting our moment when I’m trying really hard to tell you I wanna keep you forever.
But the new, partially healed me knows Ramone’s just a showoff who can’t stand not being the center of attention. ”
“Excuse you!” Ramone gasps. “Sticks and stones, Detective.”
“You don’t have to commit to forever… right now.
” Billy tugs me infinitesimally closer. “But I’m asking you to choose us.
For today. And tomorrow. And next month.
And if we’re really lucky, you might choose us next year, too.
Work wherever you wanna work, and be whoever you wanna be.
Live in my house. Or yours. Or both. Or if you don’t want either, we can sell them both and buy something else.
I’m just asking you to give me a chance to be who you deserve.
” He pauses for a beat, swallowing and searching my face.
“My pride hurts us, so I won’t do that anymore.
My stubbornness damages us, so I won’t be stubborn anymore either.
I’d like to say all those dates you set me up with bruised us, but they really didn’t.
You just gave me more allies to fight alongside. ”
“To fight?” Tears swell and stick to my lashes. “Fight for what?”
“For you, silly.” He inches closer, his breath feathering over my lips. “You were never my love expert, Magnolia. They were. I have a giant text chain to prove it.”
“What the hell is in this group chat?” Furious, I pull back and swing fiery eyes to Brienne. “What?”
“Nuh-uh.” Billy drags me back and slams his lips to mine, stealing the breath straight from my lungs and holding me up when my knees would prefer to fail.
His tongue comes forward, tracking across my bottom lip, then out to dance with mine until our kiss tastes of tears and heartache.
But it tastes like hope, too. And homecoming.
Love. promises. “Please make a family with me, Magnolia.” He gently nips at my skin.
Biting. Soothing. “I wanna stop all the bullshit.” Tasting.
Tempting. “I wanna be with you. And frankly, my son won’t accept any other answer. ”
I choke out a whimpering laugh. “Oh God.”
“Kiss me back.” He reaches across and lifts my weight clean off the floor. Hitching me up until I rest momentarily on the counter, he scoops his arm under my legs and pulls me impossibly close. “Fall in love with me, too, Magnolia. I don’t wanna say goodbye anymore.”
“You’re so dumb if you think I haven’t loved you all along.
” I wrap my arms around his shoulders and squeal with delight as he spins and holds me midair for all of Brienne’s customers to see.
Tears make my vision blurry, and my heart pounds so fast I hear it in my ears.
But none of that matters, because Billy slams his lips to mine and makes it so I need none of those senses anyway.
I just need this.
I just need him. And Jeremy. And to quiet the voice my mother planted in the back of my skull that reminds me constantly, cruelly, that nothing I do will ever be good enough.
“Finally.” He buries his face against the side of my neck. “Are you sure you’re not already pregnant? Because I’m on a roll. I could probably even deliver our baby.”
“No! I’m not pregnant. Jesus.” I smack his shoulder.
Laughing. Crying. Yearning. Drawing a shaking breath, I look around the diner at my friends.
My family, since I have none that share my blood.
And though I know, logically, it’s impossible, my heart still sinks when the single pair of eyes I so badly want to look into aren’t here. “I wanna see Jeremy.”
Billy chuckles, biting my neck and following it with a kiss. “He’s at school. But you can come with me if you want? We can pick him up together.”
I bring tearful eyes back to his. “Really?”
“What’s mine is yours, babe. And he’s already expecting you.” He slams a hungry kiss against my lips. “Threatened my life, actually. Said if I don’t fix this, he’s gonna fix me.”