Miss Me Not

A half an hour later, I felt more human. The yoga pants Trish laid out for me were long in the legs since she was taller than me, but fit snugly across my butt since I had more curves than her. I pulled the hem of the sweatshirt down self-consciously as I made my way down the stairs. Dean looked at me appraisingly in my borrowed outfit and a small spike of pleasure shot through me. Despite everything, he was still here looking at me like I belonged here.

"Ready?" he asked, taking my hand.

"Sure," I answered, slipping on my shoes.

The air was crisp from a cold front that had obviously moved in while I was sleeping.

"Swing?" Dean asked, pointing to the tire swing.

"Yes," I answered, strolling that way.

"How are you feeling?" Dean asked as he held the tire still for me so I could climb on.

"Fine," I lied, falling back on my old secret-keeping habits.

"Madison?" he said, seeing through me.

I sighed. "Aren't you sick of all my drama yet?" I asked.

"Madison, nothing about you is drama. You're so much more. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you."

"And how is that?" I said as he swung me lightly back and forth.

"Smart, beautiful, stubborn, loyal," he answered. "Snippy for sure, but in a cute way," he added.

"Lay off the drugs. I think they're messing with your brain cells," I said uncomfortably.

"My brain is in perfect working order, and it knows what it likes," he said, tugging me over so that my back was nestled up against his chest. His arms encircled me, keeping me in place as I sat on the now stationary swing. Eventually, he asked me questions about my childhood, stuff I had glossed over the night before. With no more secrets between us, I opened up to him, answering each question honestly, even when it hurt. Despite their understanding, there was no denying that I had been a brat as a child, and a pain in the ass as preteen.

We were still on the swing an hour later when Sarah and Trish pulled into the driveway. Dean and I joined them by the car to help carry stuff in.

Sarah gave me a hard hug. "How are you doing?" she asked, looking at me with concern.

"Weird," I answered honestly. "I feel better that it's out there, but I feel weird that I just let it all pour out. I kind of feel like I betrayed someone's trust, even though it was my secrets that came out," I added in a rush.

She pulled me in for another hug. Her warmth spread through me, and I brought my arms up around her, returning the hug. "Thank you for listening," I said quietly, fighting tears.

"I'm honored you trusted me," she said, finally pulling back to look at me with bright eyes.

Trish gave me a hug next. I could tell Sarah had filled her in, but it didn't bug me. I had no more secrets to hide.

Trish released me so she could reach into the minivan and hand several grocery bags to Dean. She handed the lighter ones from the mall to me and Sarah. We headed up the porch steps into the house with our arms loaded.

"What's for dinner?" Dean asked, placing the bags on the kitchen table and peeking inside. "Sweeeet, snack night," he crowed, pulling out an odd assortment of items.

"Snack night?" I asked, feeling like I was missing something.

"Mom and I like to call it 'comfort food,'" Trish said, unpacking the grocery bags. "Basically, it means junk food galore with no guilt," she said, laughing as she pointed out several gallons of ice cream, hot fudge and whipped cream.

"Comfort food sounds perfect," I said, eyeing the box of chocolate brownie mix she pulled from the bag.

Sarah laughed at my comment. "Yes, comfort food is just what you need," she said, handing several bags to me. "This should keep you clothed while we keep you kidnapped here," she said, winking at me.

"You didn't have to," I said, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat. I seriously needed to get a grip. Just because I had cried the night before didn't give me the green light to cry at the drop of a hat.

"It was my pleasure," she said, giving me a nudge toward the doorway. "Go try them on," she urged me.

The clothes Sarah and Trish had picked out for me were both tasteful and comfortable, and were perfect for spending a couple days on his grandfather's property. I donned a pair of the jeans they had gotten me and a cream-colored cable knit sweater before joining them back downstairs.