Second Chance Boyfriend(74)

I’d rather they stay with me for the long term but I don’t want to push. Having her brother living here with us would be…uncomfortable at first, but Fable is literally all he has.

“Okay.” She nods, as if she’s trying to convince herself. “Okay, you’re right. I do need to take my time and not pick the first apartment that’s available.” She closes her eyes, presses her lips together. “I don’t have any furniture. She took it all. Even my bed! I’ve had that stupid bed for years. It’s not even that comfortable. The mattress is all lumpy.”

I kiss her again. “She’s crazy, baby. Bat-shit crazy for taking everything like she did, and so quickly too. I honestly don’t know how she did it.”

“I don’t know either. It makes no sense.” Fable opens her eyes. “She makes no sense. I tried to stop figuring her out years ago but then she goes and pulls stunts like this and I’m left trying to piece together exactly why it happened.”

“Stop thinking about it.” I kiss her lips one more time, then drop a kiss on her cheek, her nose, her forehead. “We’ll worry about it tomorrow. You need to get some sleep.”

She nods, her eyes sliding closed and she squeezes her arms around me. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“I think I needed it.” Her voice is already fading and she nuzzles her face against my chest. “You feel so good, Drew. I love you.”

My heart eases. I’m reassured by her sweetly spoken words. “I love you too.”





Chapter Eighteen





Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine. – Ralph Waldo Emerson



Drew



“So she’s moved in with you.”

“It’s temporary,” I’m quick to tell Dr. Harris. I know what she’s thinking. What everyone will think, though it’s not like I know a ton of people. We’re moving too fast, Fable and I.

But it’s been almost a week since her mom abandoned her and Owen. I just can’t kick her out. They have nowhere to go. Besides, I like having Fable living with me. Owen and I have come to a somewhat uneasy truce. I know he’s not my biggest fan, but the kid is polite, keeps his room clean and doesn’t give me any trouble. Not that I believed he would.

He’s a good kid. Fable’s raised him right.

Doc is tapping away at her iPad. Probably noting how worried she is that I’m living with Fable. “Are you all getting along?”

“For the most part.” I can’t lie to her. “There was tension at first, most of it coming from Owen. He’s hurt that their mom did this.”

“Understandable.”

“He blamed Fable at first.”

“Also understandable. We sometimes look to put the blame on others because we don’t want to believe the truth.” She looks at me pointedly. “We also tend to blame ourselves.”

I know all about that. I get it. “They’ve hashed stuff out, but it’s still a little tense between them. So that means it’s a little tense between Owen and me. But overall, he’s a nice kid. I feel bad for him.” I remember being a teen. My entire world changed in a blink of an eye. I lost all my innocence, my childhood forever.

This betrayal by his mother has taken Owen’s childhood away from him for good.

“Has the mother resurfaced at all?”

“Fable finally received a text from her a few days ago.” And it had infuriated her. Only two sentences, it sent Fable into a funk that had her stewing the rest of the night.

I’m so sorry. Someday I hope you’ll understand.

Fable deleted it immediately, calling her mom every horrific name she could think of.

“Your relationship is already a delicate one. Doesn’t this situation put unnecessary stress on the two of you?”

“If we can get through this, we can get through anything, don’t you think?”

Dr. Harris offers me a kind smile. “One would think. Such a momentous move while in the early stages of your commitment to each other can also turn everything sour. Are you afraid of that? Of losing her after finally getting her back?”

I’m always afraid of losing Fable. The fear stays in the back of my mind 24-7. Most of the time I push it aside and focus on the present day.

“She needs me.”

“And you need her, don’t you?”

“I do.” I take a deep breath. “You won’t want to hear this, but I’d prefer if they lived with me. I like having her there. We don’t spend every waking moment together since she’s working full-time lately and I’m in school, but I like…” My voice trails off.