Jaxon

I knew, even before I opened my eyes.

Claire was gone.

I lay there for a while, eyes closed, thinking about the night before.

Stay.

I’d finally said it. Finally told her what I wanted. I told her the truth, I told her everything and she stayed with me. Let me take her upstairs. Get her naked. Take her to bed.

We talked for hours. Kissed and laughed. I held her until my lids grew heavy and I followed her into sleep.

I love you.

That was last thing I said to her before I dropped off.

I love you too.

That’s what she said.

Then she left.

And it’s no less than I deserve.

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I sit on its edge and stare out the window while the pressure in my chest crushes the air from my lungs.

I hear noises coming from downstairs. The refrigerator opening and closing. The slide of silverware in the drawer. Someone rifling around in the pantry.

Simon.

I’ve tried to make Sunday breakfast a thing but he sabotages me, every chance he gets. If I’m not up and cooking before he comes downstairs, he slams a quick bowl of cereal so he can tell me he’s already eaten.

I guess I deserve that too.

You know what? Fuck that.

Yes, I’ve made mistakes, but I was a kid. A kid who was a father. Scared shitless, just trying to keep my head above water. Yes, I could’ve done better but I tried.

I’m still trying.

I stand, stalking my way across the room. Pulling a pair of jeans from my drawer, I jerk them up, barely closing the zipper before finding a T-shirt. Jam my feet into boots without socks.

Claire said she was going to stay.

I told her what I want and she said yes.

If she changed her mind, I deserve to know why.

Even if I don’t deserve it, she’s going to look me in the eye and tell me anyway.

Even if I don’t like the answer.

I take the back stairs into the kitchen where Simon is. I’ll call my mom. She’ll come over and stay with him. I’ll take my bike. Fuck, I’ll walk if I have to.

I’m going to get her.

I’m bringing her home.

Because, Simon and I—we’re her home.

Always have been.

“Hey, Simon, I—”

I stop short, what I’m seeing in front of me rooting me in place.

Claire.

She’s standing at the stove, her back to me, swimming in a pair of my pajama pants and an old T-shirt from my drawer. Simon’s at the kitchen table, making his way through a stack of pancakes.

When I speak, Simon looks up from his plate and Claire turns around, both of them looking right at me.

“Where are you going?” Claire says, her brow scrunched.

“I’m going to find you.” I probably look like I feel. Disheveled. Insane.

Her lips twitch. “Do you have time for breakfast before you leave?”

I rush her, crossing the kitchen in a few long strides to pull her into my arms. Lifting her off the ground, I crush her against me. “You’re here,” I say against her neck, breathing in the smell of her.

“I am.” She laughs, pulling back just enough to see my face. “Where else would I be?”

Nowhere.

Because this is where she belongs.

Where she’s always belonged.

“Hey, Simon—” I lift my face and turn to find him watching us. “Should we ask Claire to stay?”

“For dinner?” he says, a goofy grin plastered all over his face. He has questions, I’m sure, but he looks happy. Happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. For the first time since I’ve been home, I don’t just hope. I know we’re going to be okay.

I look down at her and smile. Taking her face in my hands, I smooth my thumbs over her cheekbones, reveling in the feel of her soft skin. The color of her eyes, a soft, muted blue, aimed up at me. I lean down, lowering my mouth to brush it against hers and she sighs, the breath of it skimming across my lips as hers stretch into a smile to match my own. “Dinner could work,” I say without looking away from her. “But I was thinking more along the lines of forever.”

 

The End

۝

 

Dear reader ~

I hope you enjoyed, Drive, the first installment of my standalone series, One Night. If you did, . It might seem like a small thing but to a writer, a review means everything.

 

Happy Reading ~

 

Megyn