“Yeah,” I said. “With both of us still living with our parents- which is something that needs to change for one of us. I love my parents, and yours, but God, I want time alone with you. And I know we’re still figuring everything out between us.” I paused. “But damn, how I want to get out of this town for a couple of days. Just you and me. A place where we can be alone and not have to say goodbye at the end of a date in my truck like a couple of teenagers. Or try to find a place to have sex because neither of us have our own place.”
A huge smile spread across her face. “Colton, that sounds perfect.”
Her enthusiasm was all the encouragement I needed. “Good. Because I was thinking this weekend. After my session on Friday with Alejandro.”
“This weekend?” Her eyes widened with excitement. “I love it. Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” I said with a grin, leaning over to kiss her forehead. “Just pack a bag. I’ll handle the rest.” I could already picture it in my mind. A cabin, a fire, and just the two of us alone.
She settled back against my chest. “I’m so excited. I can’t wait to just get away with you, Colton.” Her voice dropped a little and she added, “And I’m so glad to be a part of your recovery, you know? Whatever you need, I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere. I hope you know that.” She turned her head, sitting up to kiss my cheek.
“I know, Firefly,” I managed, my voice rough with emotion. “And it means a lot.”
“How are things going, by the way?” she asked gently, her tone filled with a mix of genuine concern and curiosity.
“It has its moments. I’m pushing through and for the most part the nightmares are less frequent and sounds don’t trigger me like they did. Alejandro’s good. I’ve come a long way from when I first met him over the summer. He’s pushed me to talk about things when they do happen and we’ve made progress with things I’ve locked away for years.” I squeezed her hand. “You know I don’t see him as much as I did before, but I honestly don’t think I’d want to stop talking to him even if he said I didn’t need to. He’s so easy to open up to. I look forward to our weekly sessions. And having you there Friday means alot.”
She kissed my cheek again, a soft, reassuring gesture. “Good. Because I meant what I said. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her words meant so much. I needed to kiss her, to feel her, to remind myself that this was real. I turned my head, my lips finding hers. The kiss was slow at first, but quickly turned it into something more. My hands cupped her face, my thumbs stroking her cheeks as our lips moved together.
I groaned, my hand slipping from her face to the back of her neck, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. Her fingers ran through the hair at my nape, a soft moan escaping her lips as I tasted her. Everything faded away and I allowed myself to get lost in the moment.
We finally broke apart, breathless, resting our foreheads against each other. This was the part I hated. I knew she had to go inside.
“Friday,” she whispered, her eyes still closed. “I can’t wait.”
“Me neither,” I replied, my voice a little shaky. I watched her get out of the truck and walk up the porch steps, turning to give me a wave, before going inside.
I was about to put the truck in reverse when I saw Garrett walking up from the barn. He saw me, gave a slight nod, and started walking towards the truck. In the months since I’ve been back, we’ve actually grown closer. He’s another person I feel close enough to to share things with.
“Hey, man,” I said as he approached, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans.
“Hey,” he replied, leaning against my door, his gaze fixed on the house. “Just checking on the horses. They were a little antsy tonight.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just busy this time of year. Preparing for the holiday season and the upcoming Fall Festival.” I had a feeling he was talking about more than that. “So, you and Em seem to be doing good.” he stated.
“We are.” I said proudly. “We’re taking things slow- or as slow as we can,” I added smiling. “But yeah, I love her, Garrett.”
He nodded, a small smirk on his lips. “Good. Because I don’t want to have to bury you in the cornfields.” It may have been a threat, but there was a hint of a smile on his face as he said it.
“I won’t,” I said, my voice firm. “I swear.”
When there was a moment of silence, I took the opportunity to ask the question that had been on my mind for a while now. “Hey man, have you heard from Cade?”
He frowned. “Yeah, but briefly. He called a couple weeks back, he didn’t say much or where he was. Just that he was okay.”
Relief and frustration washed over me. I was relieved his family had talked to him and he’s ok. But frustrated I haven’t been able to get a hold of him. “Damn it. I’ve tried calling him twice but it goes straight to voicemail.”
“He’s a pain in the ass,” Garrett said with a dry laugh. “Always has been.” He paused, his gaze softening just a little. “He’s just like you, Colton. Doesn’t realize what it does to those who care about him when he goes silent.”
I took a deep breath. He was right. “Yeah, I get it.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Well, if you hear from him again, tell him to call me. I need to talk to him.”
Garrett pushed off the truck door. “Will do. Have a good one.”
“You too, man,” I said as he walked away.
