Page 28 of Back to You

“You wanna elaborate?” he prompted.

I exhaled. “After I left, I was pretty much a wreck. Down to my last dollar, and honestly, I didn’t know how I’d get my next meal. I was searching for change on the ground when this little old lady asked me if I could help her with her groceries. Of course, I agreed. She paid me for it, then offered me a job helping her with things she couldn’t quite manage anymore. When she realized I was sleeping on strange mens’ couches, she offered me a room at her place, free of charge, so long as I picked myself up and got some help. She knew I was struggling, but she never once judged me.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah.” I chewed on my lip. “She gave me the money I needed to get my GED, then talked a friend of hers into giving me a job.”

Dane was quiet for several heartbeats. “You’re okay now, though? Right?”

At the worry lines on his face, my smile only grew. “I’m doing good, Dane. I’m even better now that you’re here, but I have to ask… This is real, right?”

“Well it’s sure as hell not a dream?”

“No, I mean… Is this just a fling, or…?” I tried to quell the nerves bubbling to life, but Dane looked stunned.

“What? No.” He placed a hand on my shoulder, then shook his head. “No. You aren’t a fling, Hols, don’t ever think that. I want to keep seeing you. In fact, I’d really like it if you’d agree to be my boyfriend.” He flashed his most charming of smiles and I felt my face grow hot.

“For real?”

“Yeah, for real. Come here.”

He threw his arms around my neck and dragged me back down for another round of breathless, giggly kisses. By the time I sat back up again, I was grinning from ear to ear. “I’d love that.”

“Good. Now tell me, when do I get to meet this Grandma of yours?”