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“Are you going to come out with a mohawk?” I tease, as we pull up at the barber shop.
Arlow grins and runs a hand through his shaggy mop that now covers his ears and neck. “I was thinking about spikes, maybe with frosted tips, you know, the whole nineties vibe.”
His phone rattles, and he curses under his breath as he reads a text.
“What’s wrong?” We sure don’t need another problem to deal with right now.
His grin is sheepish. “Nothing, but I completely forgot my parents are visiting this weekend. They’ll be here tonight.”
“Oh, it’s okay. I can go ahead and get a hotel room for a few days.”
“No, that’s not necessary. We’ll give them the guest room. You take my room and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“You’re longer than your couch,” I point out. “And I don’t want to intrude on your visit.”
“You won’t be intruding. Mom is bringing the stuff to make an early Thanksgiving dinner since they’re leaving for the holidays. I’d love it if you stayed.”
I don’t want to leave him right now. I’m trying not to stress over the threat hovering above my head and being near him isthe best cure for anxiety I’ve ever found. I would’ve been a mess after yesterday if it wasn’t for him. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I don’t want them to know what’s going on right now, though. There’s no need to worry them.”
“How are you going to explain why I’m staying with you?”
He ponders it for a moment. “We’ll tell them you’re staying a couple of days while you get your furnace fixed.”
He stares at me expectantly until I nod. “Alright, but I’m sleeping on the couch.”
By the time I’ve stopped in the superstore to fill a basket with snacks, a few romance books that I know Mona enjoys, and a couple of gift cards for local restaurants, Arlow texts me that he’s ready. I’m surprised to see him standing outside the flower shop that shares the parking lot with the barber, holding a bunch of flowers.
“You clean up well,” I remark, unable to resist running my hand over his freshly shaved nape as he climbs into the passenger seat. He’s still sporting a slight bedhead look with longer messy locks on top. “Did you get flowers for your mom?” An embarrassed little grin appears along with his nod. He’s really going to have to stop being so cute before I kiss it off his face.
“I did. She loves tulips.” The tulips are placed in my backseat, but he holds out a small, gorgeous bouquet to me. “These are for you.”
For a few seconds, I only stare at him, my mind frozen. “For me? Why?”
“Because you’ve had a hard couple of days, and I know you love wildflowers.” No man has ever given me flowers. Not once. He tilts his head, his smile growing. “Calli, are you blushing? Aw, that’s so sweet.”
“No, shut up.” His chuckle is low as I take the flowers from him. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
Somebody has to help me because I am in deep.
CHAPTER 25
ARLOW
Calli deservedto know the truth about Handleman but confessing the worst of it—how I broke Melody’s heart right before she died—wasn’t something I’ve ever admitted or planned to share. She’s easy to talk to. I’d kept it to myself for so long, festering under my skin, that it spilled out.
I was afraid revealing my condition might change how she looked at me, or make her keep her distance, and maybe I even hoped for that because as selfish as it is, I can’t seem to stay away from her. I’m terrified she’ll care too much.
What am I doing? I know better. In five years, I’ve never struggled to stick to my decision to be alone. What am I even hoping for here? That I’ll find a way to keep spending time with her, to love her, without her feeling the same? I’m confused, torn between my feelings and what I know is the right thing to do.
All I know right now is that I need to keep her safe and that means keeping her close. Once all of this with Handleman is over, I’ll worry about what comes next.
It’s hard to see her upset as we clean up her cabin, though she tries to hide it by joking around. Lee stops by and offers to haul the ruined mattress and couch to the dump since my parents will be showing up soon and that saves us some time.
“Do you want me to go with you to shop for new furniture on Monday?” I ask.
Calli shakes her head. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet. May as well wait and see what’s going to happen. I don’t want to have to move it again.”
