We decided to walk, and I enjoyed the small pleasure of holding Gwen’s hand and listening to her talk about a national park she’d been to recently. I’d missed these moments with her … Hearing her talk about her photography, and watching her face light up. It felt like I’d been given a gift, and I’d do whatever I could to keep it. To keep her.
Gwen opened the door to her apartment slowly and began to tiptoe inside. It took everything I had to not bust out laughing at her over-exaggerated antics, but I figured she’d hit me if I did, so I controlled myself.
We looked around the living room, my eyes stopping on the bottle of wine on the table, two empty glasses, a bottle of whipped cream, a container of chocolate sauce, and what looked like a spilled jar of cherries.
“Cheese and crackers,” Gwen said under her breath, and I knew she was looking at the same scene I was. “What the hell went on here last night?”
“I’d say they found a new take on the sundae,” I said with a laugh, then winced when her elbow met my side.
“Shhhh,” she whispered, then pointed down the hall and made a hand gesture, which I assumed meant I should follow her to Aliyah’s room.
Gwen was hunched over as she walked slowly down the hall, then she put up her hand when she stopped in front of a door, as if she thought I’d just keep barreling on.
When her hand went to the handle I said, “You can’t just…” but the door swung open and Gwen went inside. “I guess you can,” I muttered as I followed her.
Aliyah was spread out across Liam, who was asleep in the middle of the bed, her dark curly hair, thankfully, covering up any naked parts that wouldn’t be welcome for Gwen or me to see.
I’d forgotten that Gwen had her camera case over her shoulder, until a flash went off and I looked to see Gwen moving around the bed, snapping shots at different angles.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked in a loud whisper.
“I have to preserve this moment forever,” Gwen said back, not even pretending to whisper.
“Dafuck?” Liam shouted as a flash went off in his face.
When he started to shift I yelled out, “Cover your junk,” which caused his eyes to blink open as he looked around the room in confusion.
Aliyah started to wake as well, so I ran around the bed, grabbed Gwen, and shuffled her out, before we both got an eyeful of stuff we’d never be able to forget.
“Did ya get the shot?” I asked, no longer able to hold in my laughter as I leaned against the wall in the hallway and bent over.
Gwen may have responded, but I was too far gone to hear anything. The door swung open and Liam was standing there with his jeans on, but unbuttoned.
“What the hell is wrong with you two?” he asked, more baffled than angry, as he wiped his eyes.
“Sorry,” Gwen said with a grin, clearly not sorry in the least. “I wanted to have something to show your children one day.”
“Freakin’ nuts,” he muttered, then turned and shut the door behind him.
“C’mon, nutso, let’s give them a minute to wake up and realize the extent of violation they’ve just been subjected to,” I said, holding my hand out to Gwen.
We were curled up on the couch watching one of those morning shows when Aliyah came strolling into the room and stopped in front of us with her hands on her hips.
; “Don’t you two look cozy,” she said, her frown turning into a grin as she looked us over.
“You too,” Gwen said, sitting up on the couch.
“I’m going to be mad at you,” Aliyah said, trying unsuccessfully to lose the grin. “Maybe after coffee.”
“Hey, we should all go out tonight,” Gwen said excitedly. “On a double date.”
Aliyah agreed, then she and Gwen went into the kitchen, presumably to talk about their escapades the night before.
As their laugher floated out to me, I smiled, realizing what I’d always hoped for and wanted was finally coming true.
Chapter Twenty-Three ~ Gwen