Coming Home(156)

When she was with Danny, it was so easy to pretend everything was normal. It was when she was alone that the reality of their situation reared its ugly head, because it was then that she started to imagine what it was going to be like without him.

Leah closed her eyes and started reciting passages and quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird in an attempt to occupy her mind.

Thankfully he showered quickly, and it wasn’t long before he reappeared in the living room, clad in only his boxers. Danny came to the floor next to her and slid into the Batman sleeping bag, and Leah immediately turned onto her side to face him.

“Comfortable?” he asked, shifting onto his side and propping his head up on his hand.

“Very. My sleeping bag is actually surprisingly cushy. I think you chose poorly,” she said, nodding toward his.

“Please. Try to keep your jealousy in check.”

Leah smirked, and he grinned at her before he lifted the side of the sleeping bag, holding it open.

“What are you doing? Flashing me?”

He burst out laughing. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m inviting you in. You need to experience the wonder that is Batman to fully appreciate what a piece of shit your sleeping bag is.”

“We’re not gonna fit,” she said with a laugh, and he shrugged.

“Let’s try.”

She smiled as she sat up and wiggled out of her sleeping bag before crawling over to him. As soon as she was inside, he draped the sleeping bag over their bodies and reached behind her, struggling with the zipper.

After a minute she said, “I told you it wouldn’t work.”

No sooner than the words left her mouth, she felt the sleeping bag grow a bit tighter around them as he zipped it closed. He smiled triumphantly as he lay back, pulling her partially on top of him.

“Damn you.” She sighed, laying her head on his chest. “Batman does kick maroon’s ass.”

“Told you,” he said, trailing his fingertips over her lower back.

“I’m ruined now. How can I ever go back there?”

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said into her hair, and she smiled.

“Aren’t you uncomfortable with me lying on you like this?”

“I’ve never been more comfortable.”

She laughed softly as she tightened her arms around him, and for a minute they just lay there in contented silence.

“So,” she heard him say, and his serious tone caused her to lift her head. “Did you do what I asked?”

Leah reached up and brushed the hair away from his forehead. “I did.”

It was quiet for a few seconds before he took a breath and asked, “And are you okay?”

A tiny smile curved her lips. “I am.”

He stared up at her, and Leah could see that he was gauging her honesty.

Danny had become a permanent fixture in Leah’s family. He had been at every Sunday dinner since that first one in January, and everyone adored him. And it was for that reason Danny had asked her a few weeks ago to tell them the truth about what was going on with him.

“It feels like lying,” he had said to her. “They’ve all been good to me, and I don’t like being dishonest with them. They need to know.”

And while she knew he was right, Leah kept avoiding it at every turn. She just didn’t want things to change; enough change was coming her way to last a lifetime, and she didn’t think she could handle any more. She had no way of knowing if learning the truth would ruin their opinion of him, but she just couldn’t bring herself to chance it.