Damn it, I really hope we do. My smile falters and I hide it by drying my cheeks off and swiping away the tears on my lashes. “I was just about to make breakfast. Are you hungry?”
Zane’s hand goes to his stomach right as it growls. “I’m a growing boy, Ly. I’m always hungry.”
“Growing, my ass,” I scoff at him while I make myself busy in the kitchen. Maybe if I don’t think about what Colt is doing all day, then maybe I can ignore it. I’ll just stay busy.
This kitchen is stocked and I find it easy to lose myself in making some bacon, eggs and toast. Having Zane to chat with also helps. While we eat, he keeps me entertained with stories from our time apart. Some of them are hilarious and some of them pull at my heartstrings. Colt had already shared with me what happened to their friend Tric, but hearing it from Zane’s perspective and his feelings has me squeezing his arm. When it's time to clean up, I tell Zane about college, the girls he missed out on meeting, and about Jordan.
“Did you love him?” he asks with his head tilted in question.
I meet his eyes and I nod my head yes. “I did. He pushed me to find myself and then later we were lovers. He broke up with me when he got sick, but we stayed friends. Sometimes people are in our lives at a certain time for a certain reason, right? I think at that time in my life I needed Jordan, but he was too good of a soul to be left on this earth. Just like your friend. And without Jordan and his never-ending love for me, I wouldn’t have had the means to help Stella and her baby, and also me, escape. He told me to go home. To go back to Tennessee. And now part of me wonders if he meant here all along.”
Zane’s eyes mist over. “Shit, Taylor. That's a beautiful thought. He sounds like he was a great guy, and I’m glad he was there for you when we weren’t. Truly.”
I nod, and my heart feels lighter. Every time I talk about the last ten years or what happened in our lives during that time, I feel better. Like I missed out on less.
Zane leaves the living room to go back to the office soon after and I’m left with my thoughts, knowing what I need to do. Pulling Colt’s phone from my pocket, I dial the number I’ve had memorized since eighth grade.
“Hello? Colt?” My momma’s voice answers the phone, and I am shocked when she says his name.
“You’ve had his number in your phone for the past ten years?” I ask, and I hear her gasp.
“Lyric? What is going on? Why aren’t you calling me on your own phone?”
My mind swirls. “Momma, I asked you first.”
She huffs and I hear her as she’s shuffling through the house. I can just picture her looking to make sure my daddy isn’t listening in. “He was your first boyfriend, Lyric. I had his number then in case I couldn’t find you, and I don’t know, just sentimental reasons, I guess. Although it's good I did or I wouldn’t have answered a number I don’t know. Now it's your turn.”
My free hand fists and I take a deep breath in and exhale. “He found me, Momma.”
She sucks in air sharply and her voice hitches with tears. “Are you okay?”
“I am,” I tell her, nodding my head even though she can’t see me. “Remember that motorcycle club I helped years back? Well, I asked them for help with my security, and well, Colt showed up.”
“Oh my word.” My momma exhales and then giggles. “How did that go?”
“About as well as you can imagine. I’ve been staying with him. My house was, well, it isn’t safe there right now. We’retrying to figure out how to keep me safe,” I explain to her, skipping over all the details my momma does not need to know.
“And how is Colt?”
I pause and my eyes narrow at the dreamy way she says his name. “He’s changed.”
“I bet he has. It's been a long time since you two broke up. Distance, time, maturity, it can change a person. He always was a good kid.”
“He was,” I agree with her. That information isn’t new. She was team Colt from the first time he asked me on a date. She also held me together when I cried for hours when he broke my heart. “He still is. I think…I think he found what he’s been looking for. A place where he belongs.”
“I can believe that, sweetie.” She hums in agreement. “We know how he grew up and despite that, I truly believe he thought he was doing the best thing back then. It wasn’t by any means, and it was stupid.”
I huff into the phone. “It was very stupid. I just, it's been nice reconnecting with him now, as adults.”
“Mhmm.” I can practically hear her smile through the phone. “And?”
“He makes a really good spicy chicken sandwich.”
“Oh, Lyric,” she laughs over the phone and I end up laughing with her. “You know I can’t tell you what to do here? Neither can your daddy nor Pose for that matter, but I do want to say this to you. What if you two were meant to part ways at that time so you could find each other again now? I know you loved him, Lyric. It was easy to see Colt was your whole world. He loved you too, but that boy had scars and monsters that he needed to escape from.”
“I know. And I’ve forgiven him for that. I just wanted you to know that I’m with Colt and Zane actually. I’m safe.”
“I think it's lovely you’re all together. I’ll let your dad and your brother and sister know. You might want to call themtomorrow though or you know your daddy will be driving over there trying to knock the door down,” she tells me, and I can’t help but grin.
