Tank (Moonshine Task Force Book 2)(37)

I raise an eyebrow. “Babe,” I throw it back at her. “I think I understand that better than probably anyone. I’ve been able to drive myself with no problems. More than anything, I want my life to go back to normal, and while I know you want to be with me at everything, I kinda like doing a few things for myself.”

I wince, because I’m afraid I’ll offend her by what I just said.

She laughs loudly, stopping our volleying of the ball as she giggles. “You should see the look on your face. You didn’t offend me.”

“Good! I don’t want to. Just because I’m doing things on my own doesn’t mean I don’t want you around. I want you around, all the time. I’m used to you being around.”

This hadn’t been planned, but I’d been thinking about it a lot lately. I don’t want Blaze to go back to her apartment, I want her to stay full-time with me, in my house.

“Are you asking me to move in with you?”

“I guess I am,” I throw the ball behind my shoulder and swim toward her. “It wasn’t planned, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I don’t want to live without you now that I have you. We’ll go slow. I know we’re still learning things about one another, and we obviously aren’t at the same point that Ryan and Whitney are. But I also want you to know that’s where I’m heading. If the wreck taught me anything, it’s that I want you in my life forever. No one else can take care of me the way you do, and no one makes me feel more loved than you do. If something were to ever happen to you, I know I would be the same way.”

She’s quiet, and I’m scared I’ve overstepped and possibly shocked the hell out of her. “You don’t have to answer right now, I know that wasn’t the most romantic way for me to ask. But real talk, I felt it and wanted to ask. I don’t regret it.”

“Neither do I,” she launches herself at me, and at that moment, I know my leg’s okay, because it doesn’t give out as I catch her against me. “I’d be super excited to move in with you.”

My heart starts beating again as I hear the words leave her mouth. “I love you, and thank you for being everything I’ve needed throughout this crazy process. We’ll get you moved in as soon as we can. I don’t want to spend a night without you.”

She squeals as I pick her up, putting her legs around my waist.

Here in this pool, with the woman I love hanging onto me, is the happiest I’ve been in months. With everything I have, I know I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep making this happen.

Blaze

“You sure this isn’t too much?” I ask as I look around at the boxes that have invaded Trevor’s home.

I’m still unsure what I’m going to do with my apartment. There are certain furniture pieces I have that I love, and I don’t necessarily want to part with. I’ll figure it out as I have more time, but everything that matters to me in the world is here with me right now.

“Not at all, we’ll figure out where to put everything,” he pulls me into a hug, wrapping his arm around my neck. “The most important thing is you’re here with me, and you’ll be here with me for the foreseeable future.”

I grin up at him, because I like the sound of that. “Thanks for helping me,” I throw Ace a fifth of Jim Beam, his payment for helping me move today. “I think I remember this is your favorite.”

He grabs the bottle out of the air and grins at me. “It is. I’ll have fun drinkin’ this on the lake next weekend.”

“You’re already going out to the lake?” Trevor questions, as he has a seat, pulling me down in his lap. “Little early for that, isn’t it?”

Ace rolls his eyes. “This is Alabama, it’s eighty in February. It’s never too early for the lake.”

I have to laugh because he’s right, in our part of the state, it’s always hot. “Either way, thanks for helping today.”

“Yeah,” Trevor holds out his hand for his friend to shake. “I appreciate you doing the heavy lifting.”

“I’m sure you’re healed up nicely, but there’s no sense in testing it out. I was happy to help,” he grabs his wallet. “But if you don’t need me anymore, I’m out. I got shit to do tonight.”

“Thank you again,” I get up off Trevor’s lap and hug the man who saw me at my worst. Ace was the only person who saw me hit my knees that day on the road as I realized it was Trevor in the wreckage. We’ve never spoken about it, but as he hugs me, he offers me a little squeeze.

“Cherish it, every day,” he whispers.

“I will,” I whisper back.

And like that, we’ve said all we’re going to. I go back to Trevor’s lap, and the world keeps spinning.





CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO




Blaze


I’m nervous as Logan lets me out at the front of the Medical Arts Building in Laurel Springs. I check my watch to make sure I’m on time and see that I have about five minutes to spare. Today’s the day Trevor has to do his psych evaluation and they’ve asked me to be there. Part of me is extremely nervous. I don’t know what he remembers, if he remembers anything. Another part of me wonders what else might get brought up in this session. Counselors in our professions are very quick to tell when something is off, and the fact I haven’t come clean with Trevor yet rubs me the wrong way. I’m going to have to make it a point to sit down and talk to him.