Unravel(72)

“I don’t know if it’s normal to feel this nervous.”

“You’re starting a new chapter, of course it’s normal.”

I wanted to ask him if he would visit me.

I was afraid to be somewhere without him. Even when he was away from McLean, I still had the comfort of the treehouse and the memories of us. If I left, I was afraid my memories would stay behind.

His house came into sight. The lights were on and I saw shadows moving within. My grip tightened. I wasn’t ready for him to go. “Have you seen your parents yet?”

“Just for a second. I dropped my bags off and came to you.”

I smiled. I was his first priority.

We reached the tall oak tree. Both of us stared up at the treehouse. Throughout the years Lachlan’s dad had replaced rotted out boards, but the years were starting to take their toll.

Something was so final about tonight. It felt like I was closing a chapter of my childhood. No more late nights, sitting in the treehouse and spilling my heart out to Lachlan.

The wind picked up. I blamed it for the tears in my eyes.

“Lachlan?” his mom said.

Lachlan shot me a look. We didn’t want tonight to end and we definitely didn’t want someone else interrupting us.

Lachlan let go of my hand. “Stay,” he mouthed before he walked up to the deck. I stood behind the oak tree, like an escapee. I peeked and watched Lachlan and Magy.

“Mama,” he greeted.

The two of them hugged and she gave him a kiss on the cheek before she pulled back to look at him.

I loved the way Magy Halstead loved her son. It shined in her eyes and the way she talked to him. She was a small woman that came up to Lachlan’s shoulders. Even though she was small, she was fierce. No one went up against her.

Every time I saw her, she always said hi, but she would look at me very carefully, like she could see past my eyes to what was really inside of me.

It always scared the shit out of me.

“Your dad said your flight landed hours ago,” Magy said. “Where have you been?”

“I was with Naomi.”

Magy said nothing. I watched as her lips thinned in disapproval. “How is she?” she asked tightly.

“Good.” Lachlan crossed his arms and leaned back against the railing. “She’s leaving for college soon.”

“That’s great,” she murmured.

Great for Magy, maybe.

“Of course,” Lachlan said. “I’m really proud of her.”

The two of them were silent. Magy stared out before she walked over to him and mimicked her son’s actions.

“I remember how she would always be up in the treehouse, always creating stories about getting away.”

Lachlan looked over at his mom. “You heard all that?”

“Of course. My bedroom window was open in the summer. I always heard you two.”

Lachlan grinned. I tapped my head against the tree and grimaced with embarrassment.

“You didn’t think she would get out of McLean?”

“I had my doubts,” she said honestly.

I watched Lachlan’s shoulders stiffen.

“Why?” he said.

“Lachlan…” she sighed. “I don’t know if she can stay that far from you. From the minute she saw you she instantly had a crush on you that’s grown into love and a level of attachment that sometimes makes me wonder.”

Lachlan stood straighter. His head tilted imperceptibly in my direction. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Magy looked at her son carefully. “And I think somehow along the way she got ahold of you.” She reached out and tapped her hand on Lachlan’s chest, right where his heart beats. “She still has a piece of you.”

He didn’t lie or make up excuses. He faced his mom and said in a deep and steady voice, “I love her.”

She didn’t argue or try to prove Lachlan wrong. Instead, she nodded and pursed her lips in thought.

“Describe it to me,” she said suddenly. “Describe your love for her.”

“Mama…” Lachlan said. Magy wouldn’t budge. She stood there, waiting for her son to answer. “What you’re asking me to describe… I can’t. It’s like asking me to describe fresh water. I need it to live. I need her to live.”

Magy took a deep breath. “I like Naomi,” she said casually.

I wanted to snort. Even Lachlan looked at his mom skeptically.

“I do,” she insisted. “But this has nothing to do with liking her. It’s the fact that she has a level of need for you that is so intense and powerful that nothing can shake it. I just don’t think you realize how much of yourself you’ll have to give to be with her.”

“Why are you saying this?”

Magy was silent. She crossed her arms and leaned against the rail. “When you really love someone… you’re in it for life. It’s so easy to use that four-letter word at the beginning, where everything is so simple and perfect. If Naomi loves you like I think she does, then you need to be there no matter what. Her happiness, fear, and pain—even her thoughts—become yours and you need to do everything to make sure it stays that way.”

My eyes widened, completely shocked that Magy Halstead had just uttered those words.