Calmly, Carefully, Completely(79)

“Done?” I parrot. God, now I sound like Link.

She heaves a sigh. “Done. Gone. Don’t want to be away from you. Can’t breathe when I think about you leaving. Want to be with you all the time, gone. Done.” She blinks, and then she says, “You’re inside me, Pete. And I want to keep you there.”

Fuck. That’s the best f*cking thing I’ve ever heard in my life. And I can’t even put two thoughts together to tell her.

Suddenly, I hear boots stomping in my direction, and I spring back from on top of Reagan when I see her father striding toward us with that hatchet. He stops and glares at me. “Pete, can you do me a favor?” he asks. He doesn’t look very happy, but then he never does when he’s around me.

“What do you need, sir?” I ask.

“Reagan is determined to drive back to the city tonight, and it’ll be late when she gets there.” He jerks a thumb toward where Phil is standing. “So I asked Phil if you could ride with her instead of on the bus, in case she breaks down or something.”

Reagan grins, and I want to, too, but I force myself not to. “Phil said it’s okay?” I ask. I look toward where Phil is standing, and he walks over.

“You’d have to be in your apartment by midnight tonight,” Phil says. “I’ll know if you’re not.” He motions toward my tracking bracelet.

“I’ll take him straight home,” Reagan chirps. She’s grinning, and I want to grin with her.

“What about the youth boys?” I ask.

“You can see them the next day at group. At eleven, if you want to be there.” He arches his brow at me.

“I’ll be there,” I say. I want to see those boys. If I can help even one of them, I’ll feel better about my own past.

“Thanks, Pete,” her dad says. He claps me on the shoulder and squeezes a little too hard. I take it as a warning, which I think is how he meant it. He walks away, leaving me with Reagan.

“It’s going to be really late when you drop me off,” I say.

She nods. “I know.”

“I don’t want you to go home to an empty apartment all by yourself. I’ll send one of my brothers with you when you drop me off.” I wish I could go with her and walk her to her door and do all the gentlemanly stuff I’ve never wanted to do before.

“I’ll have Maggie with me,” she reminds me.

“Still,” I say. I brush her hair back from her ear. “Want to have a sleepover at my house?” I ask.

Her eyes widen, and she licks her lips. She’s interested. I can tell.

“I’ll sleep on the couch,” I say. It’ll f*cking kill me, but I’ll do it.

She shakes her head. “I’m not going to stay if you’re going to sleep on the couch.”

My hear trips in my chest.

“I’m not going to run you out of your own bed,” she says, laughing nervously. Her eyes search mine, and I hope she doesn’t look too deeply because I’m not sure what she’ll find. “I’ll stay if you’ll sleep there with me,” she says. Her voice quivers.

“Okay,” I say quietly. But my gut is doing somersaults. She steps onto her tiptoes and kisses me quickly.

“I have to go take care of a few things,” she whispers. She kisses me again, a little slower this time. We’re going to have a sleepover. Her and her dog.

“Maggie can stay, too,” I say. I’m an idiot, but I can’t even think right now.

“I’ll tell her,” she whispers playfully. “She’s going to be so excited.”