When I'm With You

“Studio,” I grunt, hating that I’m going to have to tell her that.

“Pardon?”

“Not a sunroom, Lee. That was her art studio. The one room in the house that she basically lived in and one that I know means a whole hell of a lot to her.”

“Shit, sorry, brother.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. My woman is safe and the rest can be replaced.”

He gives me a funny look. “Your woman, huh?”

I knew it was coming, so I just raise a brow, twisting my head to make sure she’s still sleeping before responding. “More than that, Lee, if you know what I mean. She’s my everything.”

He smiles and gives me a nod. He’s a happily married man who knows what it’s like to find your everything. “Happy to hear that, Nate. She’s good for you.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “You took ten years off my life earlier with that call.”

“I imagine, but she’s okay and that’s the only thing that matters. I’m going to go with her mom to pack up some of her stuff. I’m going to just go on and guess that she’s going home with you? Or should I send her home with Maddox?”

At the middle finger he gets in response, he climbs to his feet with a laugh.

Her dad takes care of talking to the official looking people while I wait for her mom and Lee to get some shit packed. For that, I’m thankful. I don’t want to let her go, needing her against me to remind me that she’s fine.

“I’ll check in with them tomorrow,” he says, walking to stand in front of me and looking down at his daughter. “I suspect, had this not been the first time I had seen her in a few weeks, that I would have seen she had gotten her happiness back?”

“That would be right.”

“You going to fight me on where she goes tonight?”

“With everything I have.”

He smiles, a ghost of one that is almost not even noticeable. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Remember what I said, Nate. Accidents happen.”

I nod, lifting the frame I still have in my hands and hold it out to him. He takes it as I wait for him to see what I’m hoping he does. His throat works as his eyes roam over every inch of the picture. I wait and hope that he sees it.

“Even back then.” Not a question because even a fool would know the answer to that.

“Even back then,” I parrot.

“I see. Take my advice then. Don’t wait to tell her that you love her.”

He continues to hold the frame when I see Emmy and Lee walking from the front door with three suitcases and two huge duffle bags between the two of them. I’m not sure which one of them I need to thank for making sure she was heavily packed because if I have things my way, she won’t be back here even when the repairs are done.

“He really didn’t say anything to you?”

I laugh at Ember’s question, something she’s been asking since we got out of our shared shower and climbed into my bed.

“He didn’t, baby. He’s a smart man, and he knew it was time to let you go.”

“Oh, wow.”

“You expected something different?”

She lifts her head from my shoulder and studies my face for a while, not giving anything away with her expression.

“Well, yeah. I mean it was one of the reasons that you said we could never be together. I just assumed that you could see something in him that I couldn’t. I’ve been worried about how he would handle us now because of that.”

Well, shit. I feel like she just kicked me in the balls.

“Damn, baby.”

“Don’t say you’re sorry, Nate. I didn’t bring it up to make you feel bad, just pointing out that is what I had worried about when it came to us coming out, so to speak, and what his reaction might be. I understand why you said it back then, and I even agree.”