Page 42 of Well Aware

I poked my head into the first room as we passed and said, “There.”

She walked with me to the second room and watched as I gently laid Iris down.

“Today was the scariest day of my life.”

I tucked the blanket up over her and stared at the mark on Iris’s forehead.

“These sheets and bedding are Lysander approved,” I mused.

“Yeah?”

Her voice trembled.

“Yeah.” I turned to her. “Let’s go out to the kitchen.”

She followed me, her footsteps hesitant to leave her girl behind.

When we got to the kitchen, I poured her a glass of chocolate milk, and she smiled. “Didn’t know that you kept chocolate milk on hand here for yourself.”

“I don’t,” I admitted. “I keep it for you.”

She blinked.

“I’ve been in love with you for eight months, Noli.”

Her inhale was swift as I handed her the milk.

She took it with a trembling hand.

“Today, when I got the call that Iris was hurt, I felt like my heart took a flying leap out of my chest,” I said. “I didn’t realize how much she’d come to mean to me.”

Magnolia placed the glass down on the counter, then threw herself into my arms.

I caught her, bringing her into my chest, and burying my face into her neck.

“I’ve never been so happy than to get there and see her smile at me,” I said against her skin. “I can’t even imagine what would’ve happened had I had to see what you did today. You’re so fucking strong.”

She sniffled. “I’m so scared. All the time.”

I squeezed her shoulders. “She’s okay.”

She blew out a breath, then pushed away from me, staring into my eyes. “It’s not just that.”

TEN

My tits are too nice for my life to be like this.

—Magnolia to Beau

MAGNOLIA

Was I really about to do this?

My stomach was doing somersaults, but I blundered out the words before I could stop myself.

He was really honest with me just now on how he felt, so it felt only right that he know the whole story before I let him get any deeper with us.

I had a huge secret.