We ate pizza at Zarbo's and ice cream down the street, and then he took me to his favorite bar.
"How do you have a favorite bar? You've only been legal for a month."
He shrugged. "It's the only one I've been to."
Turns out, he was right. The booths were red leather; there were old, faded photos from the turn of the century on the walls, and the Pixies featured heavily on the jukebox. You could order Bloody Marys by the pitcher.
It was my favorite bar now, too.
I twirled my finger in my drink, lounging legs out on my side of the booth, pleasantly buzzed.
"Jacy said you asked her about me."
"I did." He took a sip of his drink, eyeing me carefully over the rim.
"She wants to know when you're going to move in." I gave him a pointed look. "Apparently, you get to sleep in the basement."
He laughed out loud. "I'll take it."
More silence, me working up my nerve, him with his eyes all over me like he knew we were about to hash some shit out, right there over our pitcher of Bloodys.
"She said you wanted to make me happy."
"Call it what you want. It's more than just that, but you can call it what you want." He shrugged.
"What do you want to call it?"
He let out a heavy breath. "Look, I'm going to make this really fucking easy for you. I'll do whatever you want. Whatever you say. I'll be whatever you let me be. To both of you."
I stared at him.
"What is holding you back?" He shook his head at me. "My age? Your age? Fuck that, B."
"It's just that I'm… and you're…"
"You're not too old. And I'm not too young."
"You're ten years older than my kid. And ten years younger than me."
"Huh." His eyes pulled away and he nodded his head, lost in thought, a faraway smile blooming on his face. "That's kind of perfect though, isn't it?"
"It is?"
"I'm right in the middle. Seems like a really chill place to be."
AN:
*swoons*
HH is my girl, forever and always.
Thank you for reading.
HB