Page 53 of Rescuing Mary

Mary stiffened. Did he remember?

“I don’t remember you doing it, but after hearing you lay into Ruth tonight, I’m guessing you aren’t so reticent when it comes to people staring.”

She sighed. “Unfortunately, no.”

“Why unfortunately?”

“Because it makes people think I’m a bitch. And then they look at you with pity because you’re with me.”

“I don’t mind that you’re a bitch. How about this, you keep calling people on their rudeness, and I’ll make sure they know how happy I am to have you at my side.”

“Shit,” Mary said softly.

“What?” Truck asked.

“I’m not sure I can handle all this openness,” she said honestly.

“I take it we weren’t exactly chatty Kathys, huh?” Truck said with a chuckle.

“Uh, no.”

“I like this new version of us.”

“But you don’t remember the old version of us,” Mary said.

“True, but if we didn’t talk like this, and if I didn’t know about your bitch mama and you didn’t know about my horrible parents and Macie, then what we had was probably based on the wrong things.”

Boy, did he have that right.

Before she could agree, he inhaled deeply again. “You smell so…familiar. It’s like I’m having déjà vu.”

“Do you think that could be good?” Mary couldn’t help but ask.

“I have no idea. But at the moment, I don’t care.”

They stayed like that on the couch for another couple of hours. Mary told him a few details about her friends, without mentioning names or many specifics…except about Rayne. They also talked about their likes and dislikes. They discussed the movie Deadpool and had a spirited argument about whether or not it could be classified as a romance. When they finally seemed to run out of things to talk about, Mary asked, “How’s your head feel?”

“Good,” Truck slurred.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I should go.”

“Don’t,” Mary said swiftly. “Stay.”

“I told you, young lady, that I wasn’t going to have sex with you,” Truck teased.

Mary giggled, then said softly, “I haven’t felt this good in months.”

“You really want me to stay?” Truck asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then I will. You want to get up and go to bed?”

Mary shook her head. “I’m comfortable here.”

His arms tightened around her for a moment before relaxing again. “Me too.”