I nudge his side. “It’s okay to be nervous, Hold. But he really will say yes.”
“Yeah, I know.” He lets out a little breath. “You’re sure, though, right?”
I hate to hear the insecurity in his voice. “Positive, Hold,” I whisper before leaning down to kiss the top of his head.
“Hey, darlin’,” Julian says, pulling Holden’s attention away from me. “You ready to head home?”
Holden sits up, already nodding. “Yeah.”
He stands and looks down at Eli before dropping to the floor beside him. “It was really nice to meet you. Get my phone number from Beck and Ro, okay? You can text or call me anytime for any reason. We’ll make sure you get Julian’s too.”
Eli nods at him with wide eyes. “You’re going to be okay, Eli. I know it may not seem like it right now. But I promiseyou will,” Holden says, cupping Eli’s face gently in his hand.
Tears well up in Eli’s eyes. “Thank you.”
After Holden and Julian leave, the house is quiet. Beck leans back against the couch and looks at me, holding his arms open. I don’t need a clearer invitation than that. I crawl across the couch to him and settle against his body, my head on his chest, my legs between his. He lets out a little sigh, his hands finding their way into my hair. I’m enjoying the peacefulness of it when Eli clears his throat. “Are you guys always like this with each other?”
I turn my gaze to him and Beck asks, “What do you mean?”
Eli waves a hand toward us. “Like that. Affectionate. Cuddly. You guys seem like you’re always touching. Is it always like that?”
“Pretty much,” I answer honestly. “But if it makes you uncomfortable, we can tone it down.”
Beck’s fingers tighten in my hair, letting me know how much he dislikes that idea. But I know, just like me, he’ll do whatever is needed to make Eli feel comfortable.
A look of pure horror flashes across Eli’s face. “No!” he practically yells, his face flaming bright red. He glances down at Kassie and rubs her ear between his fingers and thumb. “Uh, no. I just… my um, mom and dad didn’t get along well. They fought all the time. And then my mom filed for divorce. Dad won me in court. I think he only did because Mom didn’t want me.” He stops talking like he just realized that neither of his parents fought for him. I’m about to say something—anything—to try to make him feel better when he continues. “Anyway, they never cuddled with each other. It’s nice…” His voice trails off as he continues playing with Kassie’s ear. “That people actually love each other, you know? I don’t like fighting.”
Beck hums. “Yeah, we don’t like fighting, either. We very, very rarely do. And we don’t yell and scream at each other.”
Eli looks up at us. “Really?”
I chuckle. “Well, I did yell at you once.”
Beck laughs too. “Fair.”
Like Eli can tell it’s a joke, he giggles. “What for?”
I sigh. I wish this kid were a normal fourteen-year-old, but he’s not. And he’s seen far too many ugly things in his life. “Well, someone hurt Holden when he was a kid. Not much older than you, actually. And he had the misfortune of running into us in the streets. Beck beat the shit out of him.”
Beck groans. “Not proud of that, truthfully.”
Eli laughs. It’s loud, and it seems to surprise even him. “Wow, really? Like some kind of superhero?”
Beck swallows so hard I can hear it from my place on his chest. “Not really. I definitely felt pretty heroic at the time, though.”
“But yeah,” I interject. “He scared the shit out of me and I yelled at him. Not my proudest moment, either, honestly.”
Eli shakes his head, a look of wonder in his eyes. “I can’t really imagine you hurting anyone. You seem so…safe.”
I smile. “He is. Unless you hurt someone he loves, then all bets are off.”
Beck hums. “It is what it is. What is it the kids say? And I’d do it again, bop bop.”
Eli lets out a peal of laughter. “Please, don’t. So cringe.”
Beck’s laughter vibrates my chest. “Hear that, beautiful? I’m cringe. I’ve officially made it.”
I roll my eyes. “God, you’re going to be insufferable with Dad jokes, aren’t you? I can already tell. Danny 2.0.”
