He put a finger to my chin and tipped my head up gently.
He was right there, staring at me, looking inside of me, knowing me, knowing the struggles, knowing the good, and knowing the love. There was so much love coming from him. I couldn’t handle it. I’d never had someone look at me like that, except a dog that followed me around for a time when I was on the streets. He liked the treats I stole for him.
So that dog really just loved the treats I gave him.
He went with Herb, who started feeding him hamburgers.
That dog was kind of a wanker, too.
No, he wasn’t. I missed that dog.
I should look up Herb and steal the dog back.
No. I wouldn’t do that either—
“Cheyenne.”
I’d drifted. “Hmm? Sorry.”
“What are you thinking right now?”
“I was thinking about naming a dog Herb.”
He frowned. “I’m not asking your train of thought on that one, but can you come back to me? Can you focus on me?”
I nodded. “I will. I’m sorry.”
He cupped my face.
I was learning he loved to cup my face, and I was learning that I liked when he did that. No. I adored when he did that. I melted when he did that, and I was melting again. A full pile of goo on the floor, and then he ran his thumbs over my cheeks, and I really, really loved when he did that.
He finished it up with, “I want to show you off tonight. Will you let me?”
I already knew my answer. I think I knew it the first morning I woke up after our night. (Six. Times.) But moving on, I lifted my hands, took his in mine, and I had to tell him everything.
I put our hands in my lap and I looked at them.
“Stuff like this doesn’t exist for people like me.”
He looked like he was about to interrupt, so I held up a hand.
I kept on, “I don’t get the happy ending. I don’t get the family. I don’t get the mom or the dad. Even my uncle and my cousins, they were okay when I moved here. I think they were relieved. Then you wanting to be with me, or even around me, and that didn’t make sense to me. Nothing you did made sense to me, so I ran. I ran twice. But I can’t keep running. It’s stupid at some point, and now this is happening and I heard Melanie. I want you to know that. I heard her. It’s just a lot to take in, but she’s right. Sasha’s right. You’re right. I don’t care about the PR stuff. I have no interest in that stuff. I don’t even care that KC’s Dirty Rag featured us. I kinda think it’s cool because I doubt it’ll ever happen again. But,” this was the hard part, “I need to stop hiding and I need to be okay sharing my story because Melanie’s right. It could help someone. It would’ve helped me back then.”
That was the big takeaway from here.
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“I love you.”
He meant it, and I felt it. All over me.
“I love you, too.”
The door was pushed open just as Cut’s lips lowered to mine, and we heard Sasha’s gripe, “You two are so cheesy that I can’t even be serious for my girl’s revelation right now. I feel like toilet papering this entire apartment right now.” She let out an annoyed sigh. “Let’s go. I’m drunk and I want to hit the event in my prime buzz time. If Nut-Brother’s there, I’m hoping to make a scene.”
Cut frowned at her, then me, when she disappeared from the doorway.
Melanie took her place and she was beaming. “I’m so fucking happy. I am also fast going past buzzed to drunk, so I second Sash’s vote to get there. I’m so buzzing right now that I’m forgetting why we’re all so hap—oh, that’s right. KC’s Dirty Rag.” She turned toward the kitchen. “I think we should stop at Dino’s Beans for more coffee. Cassie asked for a latte, too.”
Cut was frowning at me as he stood. He reached for my hand, helping me up, too. “I’m getting that the three of you are a package deal, but please tell me you don’t have a group name.”
My smile was wide and dazzling, because he had no idea.
He saw my smile, and groaned. “God. What is it?”
“We’re the Tomcats.”
His eyes widened. “Jesus. It’s perfect.”
Then, Sasha yelled, “Let’s fucking go!”
“Can you stop using my word? You know that’s my word.”
“Fuck.”
“Sash.”
“Vamonos!”
That was perfect for Sasha.* * *Koala Brother: You’re famous.
Koala Sister: No, you are.
Koala Brother: I’m serious this time. You are. My friends all told me, and Monica wants to get back together.
Koala Sister: Not The Monica
Koala Brother: So The Monica
Koala Sister: Dude
Koala Brother: I can see we’re staying in line with our last exchanges.