by A. E. Murphy
Aww. That’s sweet. “Daddy’s boy.”
“Shut it.” He literally dives on me, covering my body with his, covering my mouth with his. “We’re going to my place. Pack a bag; you’re staying the night.”
“Oh.”
“Is that cool?”
“Definitely. I’m just a little nervous.”
“Don’t be. It’ll just be me, you and Ashlyn after five.”
“Your parents are okay with that?” I don’t want them thinking I’m some kind of whore.
“Of course, they’re cool. They’ll just expect you to sleep in the spare room.”
“Which is completely fine,” I assure him. “Don’t be doing anything that gets me barred from your house.”
When his phone vibrates again, he frowns and says, “It’s Leona.”
“Aren’t you going to answer it?”
“No, she knows not to call. I’m not interested in whatever she has to say. It won’t change my mind.”
“I’m so glad she doesn’t go to our school,” I murmur. “I can’t be bothered with ex drama.”
“Think how I feel; you were sucking Leroy’s face last night. He’s my best friend.”
Wince. “Not my fault. I blame vodka and you for making me need to forget you.”
He’s not annoyed. I can see he’s joking and so am I, sort of. When he lifts his phone again, I snort. “Really?”
“I want to show you off, Ty.”
“I forgot how badly you used to flood your Instagram.”
“I enjoy it.”
I pat his chest. “If it makes you happy then I don’t care. Just remind me to open up an account later.”
“You don’t have an account?”
“I do but I forgot the password and I want a fresh start from my old look and life.”
“You are who you are, Ty. I loved how you looked then and I love how you look now.”
That was one of my worries. I was concerned that he only found me attractive because I suddenly slimmed and toned. It’s worrying because who’s to say I’ll stay this weight? Would he leave me if I put it all back on again? I hope I never do but if I do, will he still want me?
No. I mentally chastise myself. I’m not letting my insecurities ruin the now. There are a great number of reasons why this could end and I’m not dwelling on that. For now, he’s mine. I have him.
“Does this mean we can stop working out so much?” I ask, hopeful.
“Nope, this just means we can get more creative,” he responds, equally as hopeful as he looks me up and down.
We roll up through rows of trees, along the most gorgeous driveway I’ve ever had the opportunity to experience. It’s so long and narrow; a cobblestone wall lines the sides and wildflowers spring to life from between the cracks.
“Wow,” I breathe, all but pressing my face against the glass. “This is where you grew up?” The large house comes into view and it looks new.
“No, we moved out here a few years ago. Mum and Dad had it built after the old one burned down.”
“Oh, well that makes sense as to why you go to school so far away.” He lines the car up with a double-wide garage door and clicks a button on the dashboard. The garage door starts to roll upwards with a dim humming sound. “Your garage is way cooler than my garage.”
He rolls his eyes, smirking at my silliness. “Come on.”
We climb from the car and the garage goes dark as the door closes behind us. Luckily an automatic light system clicks into action, making the sparse, white and grey area come into better view. There are two other cars in this wide garage and only a small area for tools in the far corner.
My dad’s garage is so jam packed full of crap that he can’t even fit his car into it. Nathan must have a serious dose of OCD.
“This way.” Dillan takes my hand in his and pulls me up two steps that lead into a utility room of his house.
“I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have sex on a working washing machine,” I comment, skimming my hand across the surface of his as we pass.
His head whips around, his pupils large in the dark room. “Don’t say stuff like that if you actually want to get to where we’re going.”
I snigger mischievously and allow him to literally drag me from the utility room and into the kitchen. “Your house has sprinklers.” I point to the little metal balls on the ceiling that blend in well with the décor.
“They almost died in the fire here,” he says quietly. “They kit up everything they own with full fire prevention and safety measures.”
“That’s awful.” I stroke my hand down his arm. “How frightening.”
“I was just a baby but luckily I wasn’t here when it happened. Mum was pregnant with Emily at the time.”
“Who’s this?” Emily steps into the kitchen, wearing denim skinny jeans and a white and blue floral off the shoulder top.
“Emily, that’s not how you greet anyone,” Dillan chastises. She looks at me with familiar eyes. The eyes of Nathan.
“Sorry, I’m Emily, the one who got the looks.” She elbows her brother in the ribs. “I’m guessing you’re Tyler?”
“That’s me.”
“She’s way prettier than Leona. Leroy was right,” Emily states and then grins at me with mischief in her eyes. “Leroy fancies you; did you know?”
“I’ve heard.”
Dillan gives her a look to shut her up. She doesn’t heed the non-verbal warning. “Oh yeah, he got totally jealous. I’ve never seen him so mad. He was all, stay away from her, she’s not one of your toys.”
I look at Dillan and bite my lip to stop my smile.
“All right, enough.” He shoves his sister to the door and leads me into the kitchen past her.
“Oh my god! You’re holding hands! That must mean…” She grins wildly and claps her hands once. “Do Mum and Dad know?”
“Know what?” Gwen appears behind her daughter and I go to pull my hand free of Dillan’s but he just holds tighter. “Tyler, how lovely to see you!” She moves to me and embraces me in a warm, motherly hug. “I’m so glad to see you’ve both made up.” When she pulls back, she holds me on my shoulders and smiles kindly.
“They did more than make up if that hickey on her neck is anything to go by,” Emily comments dryly.
My hand flies to my neck and my eyes throw daggers at Dillan.
“What? There’s nothing on her neck, Emily!” Dillan snaps and my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
“I know.” Emily grins wickedly. “I was just testing out my theory.”
“Don’t worry.” Gwen takes my arm and leads me to a seat in the large conservatory that links the kitchen and the dining room. “No judgment. I’m just glad to see you’re both happy.”
I can’t talk. I don’t know what to say. “Are you hungry?” She asks.
“We haven’t eaten since eight,” Dillan replies and I hear him pull the fridge door open.
“You sit and relax. I’ll bring you something to eat.”
“Thank you,” I respond, feeling even more awkward now that I know that she knows I’ve been naughty. “And thank you for having me.”
I slide my hands over the velvet surface of the small loveseat I’m sitting on and stare over the huge garden. It goes on forever. I wonder how much land they have.
“Emily is a div.” Dillan takes the empty space besides me and flicks at my chin with his index finger. “She’s always stirring something.”
“I thought it was clever how she caught me out like that.”
“She’s an evil genius.” He rolls his eyes and laces our fingers together, as though he’s done it before a thousand times. We end up in a thumb war, battling for supremacy as his mum hums away in the kitchen and clatters dishes around.
“Where’s Ashlyn?”
“She’ll probably be in the treehouse.”
“By herself?”
“No.” Gwen leans against the door jamb, her eyes warm and her smile even more so. “Her dad is work
ing on some stuff for his next jewellery line; he usually sits up there with her as she plays pretend.”
“That’s adorable. My dad was like that when I was little.” I smile with remembrance. “He had a little playhouse in the adjoining room and sometimes he’d take me to work with him.”
“How lovely.”
“It was. He’s the best.”
“Your parents seem like very nice people.” She checks her watch and I assume it’s so the food doesn’t burn. “I’m looking forward to meeting with them again.”
“Mum is too; first thing she did this morning was sort out a day trip to the stables.”
“Yay!” She looks way more excited than I thought she would. “So exciting. I love horses.” She looks at Dillan and then our joined hands. “It’s such a romantic way to spend a day with your partner.”
“I don’t need dating tips, Mum. I’m better at it than dad.”
“Puh-lease,” she snorts. “Nobody is better than your dad.”
“Which one?” Dillan chuckles and I look between their smiling faces, hoping somebody explains that joke.
“Both, actually. Caleb had his moments.” She looks at me and smiles more broadly when she sees my confusion. “Caleb, Dillan’s biological father, died when I was pregnant. Nathan came along shortly after and saved me.”
“Oh, wow, that’s so interesting.”
“It’s a fun story. People don’t know what to say about it, especially when they find out that Nathan is Caleb’s brother.”
Blink.
She cackles loudly. “See? That look right there, that’s why I tell it and that’s why he doesn’t.”
“It’s only because people don’t get it and I tire of having to explain it,” Dillan grumbles. “I don’t want them calling you names.”
“Baby, we don’t care. We’re not ashamed. Caleb would be happy for us and that’s what truly matters.”
“No use caring what people, who don’t matter, think about you,” I agree.
“So why do you get so upset over how you look?” Dillan probes, his tone one of curiosity.
“Only when it comes to you.”
“You’re beautiful, every single inch of you,” he says softly. “Awwww, I wish I had a camera right then. I raised you well,
Dillan,” Gwen cries. She turns back into the kitchen but a second later pops her head around the door again. “Separate rooms tonight; we’ll know if you don’t.”
“What time will you be home?” Dillan asks, yelling after her as he pulls my thighs over his.
“I’m not telling you. I’m not that stupid,” she calls back and my cheeks heat again.
“Come on,” Dillan chuckles. “Let’s go and find the brat at the treehouse.”
“Wait!” Gwen shouts. “I’m still making your lunch.”
My stomach cheers her on, but the rest of my body however just wants to get lost in the trees with Dillan.
“Sorry, almost forgot.” Dillan snuggles back into me, unashamed at our display of affection. Has he brought a lot of different girls home to meet his mum? Is that why this seems so normal?
“Don’t worry, I’ll pack it so you can take it with you.”
“Let go,” I whisper, giggling when he nuzzles the space behind my ear. “We’re being so disrespectful.”
“I don’t care.” He chuckles and I slap his hand away when he slides it up my thigh.
“Stop,” I laugh, shoving his hand away and trying to stand in an effort to escape.
He grips my hips and tugs me back down, wrapping his arms around my waist so I can’t escape.
“I’m going to slap you in a minute.” I finally pull free but only because his mum comes back into the room with a cooler bag in her hand.
“Is he annoying you?” She asks as Dillan takes the bag from her.
“Only when he’s awake.” I smile at my guy who smiles back and holds out his free arm to me.
“Let’s go.”
As we walk across the deck I peer out at the expanse of grass and trees. I don’t see a treehouse within sight but I do spy a well-cut lawn with the greenest grass I ever saw.
“Your mum doesn’t mind PDA?” I enquire as he leads me towards the trees.
“She’ll bust me for it later.” He lifts the bag and peeks under the flap which hasn’t been zipped. “I love it when Mum packs me a lunch.”
“That’s for me, actually.” I look under the lid myself and grin when I see the multiple sealed tubs stacked on top of each other. “Is there coffee in that canister?”
“Probably some kind of herbal tea. I only really drink coffee when I’m with you.”
“Sorry, I’m pushing my bad habits onto you.”
“And I’m pushing my good ones onto you.”
“Don’t even think about it. I’m not dressed for jogging.”
He holds my hand and navigates me through narrow gaps between trees and bushes.
“Isn’t there a path that leads to the treehouse?”
“Yep, but I’m not taking you there yet.”
“You’re not?” I wet my lips and duck under a branch after him.
“You’ll see.”
We seem to just travel deeper and deeper into the dense forest. I hope he doesn’t get us lost; that’ll ruin this moment.
“How long since you kissed me?” He asks and we stop suddenly in an open circle. It’s eerie; the ground is hard packed dirt with a scatter of branches and leaves resting across the top.
“A few weeks I think. I’m not good with time.”
“If I’d just been…” He leads me to a fallen tree and removes his jacket. I wait for him to place it on the thick, brown trunk. “Sit.”
“I can’t sit on your jacket.”
His eyes roll. “Sit.”
“Fine.” I do as I’m told and straddle the side of the log. He mirrors my position and places the bag between us. “What were you going to say?”
“Just that I’m sorry and I’m an idiot.”
“Dillan,” I laugh, “it’s okay. Really.”
“No.” He opens the first tub and hands it to me. “It’s not. I knew I liked you, even then, but… I don’t know.”
I watch him grimace, shame in his features as he looks away. “You figured I was too high maintenance?”
“Turns out you’re less maintenance than Leona and the rewards with you are…” He blows out a breath and opens his tub of pasta. “You’re amazing and you’re so cool; you don’t take my shit and you don’t give me shit for no reason.”
“Don’t hold me to that.”
He shakes his head with amusement. “I think that’s why, mostly because I didn’t want to lose that easy friendship we have.”
“Yeah, I’ve never felt comfortable around someone else like I do around you.” I begin to eat just as he does, in easy and comfortable quiet, surrounded by trees.
“Look,” Dillan whispers, pointing to the trees across the way. “This is why I brought you here.”
“I was beginning to wonder. We passed a hundred prettier spots on the way.” Though I still can’t see what he’s pointing at. He hands me his pasta tub and pulls a little plastic bag from the jacket hiding under my arse.
“Be really quiet and still,” he whispers and carefully opens the bags. Tipping the contents into the palm of his hand, he rolls his fingers through the small, multi-coloured pile of nuts and seeds.
“What am I looking at?”
“Shush.”
“Did you just shush me?”
Then I see it and my eyes widen. He lowers his hand to the ground, palm out, and a tiny, red, fluffy little creature hops cautiously from the trees. It twitches its nose in the air, its little whiskers seeming to tremble as it assesses the level of danger, before finally hopping the rest of the way.
Dillan doesn’t talk, nor does he move; he just waits patiently as the tiny red squirrel takes the treats from his hand, stuffs a few in its mouth and then darts back to the woods faster than if I’d started barking at
it.
“Oh my gosh!” I grin, placing my hand on my heart. “That’s… just amazing.”
“I’ve been feeding them for a few years and eventually they just got closer and closer. There’s usually a few of them but you’re here, so Scrappy is scoping it out.”
“Scrappy?”
“He’s the bravest.”
“So you named him Scrappy?” I giggle and watch as he throws the rest of the nuts onto the ground by the trees.
“Zip it; it’s a great name.”
“Speaking of your love for animals, I was going to go down the animal shelter tomorrow. Do you have plans after classes?”
He shakes his head. “Nope, we’ll go together.”
“We don’t have to. I don’t want you to think I want all of your time now that we’re… whatever we are.”
“Why not? I want yours.” He smiles easily and takes a large mouthful of his pasta. “Hurry up and finish.”
“Your mouth is huge.”
He winks and then pulls the canister of tea from the bag. I finish my pasta, put it away and search the bag for the pots of fruit I saw Gwen preparing through the doors when we were sitting on the loveseat.
He puts the bag on the ground and shuffles closer to me. We both sit facing each other, my knees over his.
“This is the best orange ever.”
“Mum gets good stuff.” He pops another segment into my mouth and then kisses my lips. “Tastes better on you.”
A shiver runs down my spine and happy dances in my womb. He tickles my neck with the tips of his fingers and shuffles even closer, until I’m almost straddling his groin.
“I’m sorry I took you for granted,” he murmurs and kisses me again.
I thread my fingers through his hair and yank his head back. “I’m so lucky.”
“Why’s that?”
“Have you seen you?” I smile. My core clenches when I kiss him again, deeper this time. I feel his groan vibrate through his chest and into mine. “Promise me that we’ll still be like this when I wake up a week from now.”
“Promise, unless you kiss Leroy again.”
“Ew. Don’t even bring that into this right now.”
Lips touch mine once more, forcefully, erasing any memories of kissing somebody else.