Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
The whole thing felt so damn unnatural. But I forced myself up because I knew I’d never want to leave. Carly and I had started down the hall when we noticed footsteps behind us.
I turned.
It was Scottie.
He’d grabbed his jacket and his iPad.
He thought he was supposed to be leaving with us. He didn’t get it.
My fucking heart was about to break.
“No, Scottie. You’re staying,” Carly said. She turned to me with a helpless look in her eyes. “What do we do?” she whispered.
“I don’t know.” I scratched my head and muttered, “I don’t fucking know.”
Holding his arm, I led him back inside his room. “Scottie, you stay here, okay?” I couldn’t even say we’d be back...because that wasn’t the truth. “This is where you’re gonna live now.”
By some miracle, when we walked out the second time, he didn’t follow us. But I couldn’t look behind me, fearing this would be one of those rare times he’d look me in the eyes. That would’ve made it impossible to walk away.
On our way out the main door, Carly and I said goodbye to the staff, who assured us Scottie was in good hands.
When we got outside, Carly broke down. I took her into my arms and spoke into her hair. “It’ll be okay, Pumpkin. We both know this is best for him in the long run, even if it’s hard today.”
“I don’t think he gets it—that we’re not coming back to take him home ever again.”
Even though it was killing me inside, I needed to be strong for her. “Eventually it won’t matter as much. He’ll start to look at this place as his home. It’ll just take some time.”
“I hope it gets easier for me, too.” She sniffled. “Because right now this feels unbearable.”
“Let’s pick up some pistachio ice cream and wine on the way home. We should try to relax. We both have to get up early tomorrow.”
There was something I’d yet to tell her. I couldn’t wait, to be honest. I knew I wasn’t going to lift her mood all that much, but I hoped it would help. I just wanted to wait until we were back at the house.
***
When we opened the front door at home, the silence was deafening. No sounds of Scottie’s iPad or his humming or Elton John being played backwards. It was the first time we’d experienced this kind of silence. I’d wished for a moment of peace and quiet so many times while taking care of him, and now it was the very last thing I wanted. I would’ve given anything to look over and see my guy there on the couch with his device at his ear while he rocked back and forth, the smell of his fried chicken heating in the oven.
Carly walked over to his room. There was still a lot left behind.
“I don’t think Lorraine is going to be able to handle cleaning out this place to get it ready for sale.”
“She won’t have to,” I said, straightening my posture, so amped up to let it out.
Carly blinked in confusion. “You’re coming back to help?”
“No, Carly.” I took a couple of steps toward her. “This house…it’s not going anywhere.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I bought it,” I said, bursting with pride.
Her expression filled with hope. “What?”
“I bought it from Lorraine.”
Carly placed her hand on her heart. “You’re moving here?”
“No. I mean, I don’t know that I’ll ever live in it permanently. But I’m keeping it. I was thinking I could fly home on holidays—pick Scottie up and bring him back here for a visit, so he knows things don’t always go away forever. Sometimes they come back.”
Her eyes were watery, her voice barely audible. “Oh, Josh...” Carly leapt into my arms. “This is the best news ever.”
My dick came alive at the feel of her breasts pressed against me. I took a whiff of her hair and willed my dick to calm down.
“I don’t plan to change anything, either,” I said, forcing myself to move back. “So no need to spend the last night we’re here cleaning shit out. We can leave everything as is and just relax.”
She wiped her eyes. “I can’t believe you did this.” She smiled. “I don’t feel as sad anymore about leaving him, knowing this will still be his home.”
“Good. Because I don’t want you to have any guilt, Carly. You went above and beyond what anyone else in your shoes would have done. You did Brad proud. And you deserve all the happiness in the world.”
“You, too, Josh.” She sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve. “I mean that.”
If I’d had one wish, it would’ve been that I could make love to this woman tonight without undoing whatever progress we’d made since stopping. But making a move when we were leaving tomorrow seemed like the dumbest decision ever. So I refrained from leaning into all the things my body begged me for.