“Wait? So, you’re the funny one in this relationship now? How did I miss that memo?” I tease her. And when she pouts, I laugh. But then, my expression turns sober as I take her hands in mine.
“Lucy, yesterday was…a lot. I’m…a lot. I promised you a couple days ago that I’d never put you through this kind of shit, and hell, my promise didn’t last a week. And it’ll happen again, at some point. So, look. I understand if—”
Her hand covers my mouth.
“Don’t finish that sentence. Because if you finish that sentence, then you haven’t been paying attention. I love you, Caleb. All of you. And I won’t stop loving you, ever. Was I out of my mind with worry yesterday? Absolutely. But that’s because I love you.”
“I love you, too, Lucy. I always have.”
* * *
I’manxious to get back to The Chapel. Hell, I’m anxious to stay at Ollie’s cabin and make sweet fucking love to my girl.
I am not anxious to pay a visit to our parents.
But Lucy insists it’s necessary, and honestly, Lucy’s usually right.
I convince her to laze in front of the fire for a few more naked hours, but by lunchtime, we’re in my car on the way to Annapolis.
“We’ve become road trip pros. You realize this, right?” I say, smiling but keeping my eyes on the highway.
“We won’t really be road trip pros until we have a deep understanding of the Highway Code,” she sasses back, and I roll my eyes.
“Ok, Lucy Diana, before I walk into the Lion’s Den, tell me exactly what you said to your dad. You’re seriously transferring to BU?”
“Yep. They have a great business program. And, if I do say so myself, they’d be damn lucky to have me. And I’m learning there are distinct advantages to going to the same school as your boyfriend.”
I drum my fingers on the steering wheel and take a deep breath before saying words I’ve never spoken aloud, not to anyone. “What if your boyfriend went to a different school?”
She cocks an eyebrow in my direction.
“I’m just saying. Like, it’s not a definite. It’s just an idea. And I could hate it. But there’s aculinary school about twenty minutes from campus. I haven’t applied. I only looked at the website once. But…”
She’s practically vibrating with enthusiasm. “But…that would be wonderful. Anything that makes you happy is wonderful.”
The thing is, I know she means it. Just like with my guys, I know I can be myself with Lucy. She’s seen every part of me—the good, the bad, the unmedicated. And she loves me through it all, just the way I love her.
* * *
Lucy
We pull into the circular drive to see Kristy coming down the steps. My dad is nowhere in sight, and I wonder if maybe he’s still at the hospital. As hard as the last twenty-four hours have been for Caleb and me, I can’t imagine they’ve been easy for either of our parents.
We step out of the car, and Kristy nearly tackles her son with a hug. She’s squeezing his face and telling him never to scare her like that again. I get a squeeze, too, but since it’s chilly outside, we’re ushered in pretty quickly. Kristy has coffee in the kitchen for us, and we take seats around the center island.
I’m about to check my phone when I hear the front door open again. My dad steps through the doorway, and honestly, he looks awful.
The air is tense, and I know I’m right—what’s happened between Caleb and me has driven a wedge between our parents.
This is the very thing I was trying to avoid. This is pretty much the reason I put up a million barriers between us. And yet, now that it’s happened, I don’t feel bad. Or, at least, I don’t feel guilty. Now more than ever, I know that Caleb and I haven’t done anything wrong. There’s nothing sordid about the way we feel for each other, and if people want to talk, they can. But I’m not letting that fear stand in the way of the best relationship I’ll ever have.
Our parents still aren’t saying anything. Dad’s looking in Kristy’s direction, but she’s avoiding his gaze. He walks to the cupboard, gets a cup, and pours his own cup of coffee. The tension is killing me, and Caleb must sense it because he reaches out and squeezes my hand. That sweet gesture catches my dad’s eye, and for a moment, it’s like the world stands still.
My dad clears his throat just as Caleb brings my hand to his lips and presses a kiss in my palm. To anyone else, that move might seem like a challenge, a dare. But that’s not Caleb. He’s not taunting my dad. He’s just showing his love for me and making it clear that we’re together.
“Lucy,” my dad says, finally. “We need to talk.”
Caleb shoots me a look, but I shake my head. “Yeah, Dad, I think we do.”
