Page 34 of Lovetown, USA

Trey

By the time I finish, I see her differently. Not in a bad way. Not at all. I feel like I see her pain. She hides it well, or maybe I just wasn’t looking. Maybe I wasn’t listening.

Now?

I understand.

While my son charms her, I fold the article and slip it back in her bag. I look at her again, pretty and smiling, and I feel oddly protective in a way I hadn’t before.

“Cam, set the table,” I say, and as soon as he gets up, I take his place, wrapping Lane in a hug, kissing the top of her head. I pull back and lock eyes with her, hoping she can see it in my eyes. She’s safe over here with me. I see her clearly now, and I’ll never hurt her. Not like he did.

We sit down for dinner a few minutes later, and it’s loud. Well, Cam is loud. He insists on telling us stories, some of which are funny, but most of which are foreign to me. Gen Z and I do not see eye to eye on most things.

Halfway though the meal, Cam finally drops the bomb on me.

“So Dad, I wanted to ask you something.”

I brace myself. “Go ahead.”

“I need money.”

“That ain’t a question, Cam.”

Lane snickers, and I like that she’s already comfortable enough to do that.

He sets his fork on his plate and takes a deep breath. “Okay, I’m asking if I can get an allowance again.”

“For what?” I say, my face properly balled. “I send you money every month.”

“For living expenses,” he counters. “I need extra.”

“Again I ask, for what?”

He sighs. “Raven. Her birthday was last week. She’s mad at me because I didn’t spend enough.”

“Sounds like you need a job,” I say flatly.

“But my course load,” he whines. “It’s heavy, Pop. You remember what that’s like.” He looks at Lane for backup. “I’m pre-med.”

Her face lights up. “I love that. Following in your daddy’s footsteps.” She turns to me. “I know you’re proud.”

I shrug. “If he makes it to medical school. It’s still early. His little ass might fall off.”

She makes a face at me. “Why would you say that?”

But Cam is laughing. “It’s all good. What do you think, though? Pop should give me the money, right?”

She shrugs. “Well first of all, if this girl likes you for you, she shouldn’t care how much money you spend. Y’all are college students.” She sits there for a minute like she just listened to her own words and changed her mind. “Wait. Did you know how she was when you pursued her?”

He nods.

“Oh. Then yeah. You probably need to get a job.”

Cam’s shoulders sag. “So nobody cares that I gotta keep my grades up?”

“I care deeply,” I say. “So if it’s between grades and a girlfriend, you got some hard choices to make, son.”

“I shouldn’t have to choose,” he pouts. “She might be the one, Dad.”

“Negro, please. You went down there and got your little dick wet and now you think you’re in love.”

“Trey!” Lane shakes her head at me. “Don’t do that. He’s still young enough to believe in all that.”

“So are you,” I say with a smile.

She stares down at her plate, missing the thumbs-up Cam gives me.

“So you like her, then.”

He nods. “She’s beautiful. And sweet. She has this thick southern accent. And she wants a big family like I do.”

“And?”

“And we got the same kinda vibe.”

“So she’s goofy, too?”

Cam sucks his teeth. “Listen, I need to keep her. You always told me when you find a good woman, don’t let her get away.”

Lane and I lock eyes. Without looking away, because it’s hard not to stare at that face, I ask Cam, “How much?”

“Just an extra two-hundred. Maybe three. She knows you’re a doctor,” he adds quietly.

“Why is that relevant?” I ask, laughing, breaking my stare.

“I was trying to impress her, obvi. Pop, come on. Why you bein’ difficult? You know how this works.”

“Alright, alright.” I blow out a breath. “I’ll start at three. It’ll go down in fifty dollar increments until you get a job. That oughta keep the fire lit under your narrow ass.”

“Thank you!” He rubs his hands together. “Can you go ahead and front me the first payment? I need to send her a cash app so she’ll unblock me.”

“Jesus,” I mutter as I dig my phone out of my pocket. “Fuckin’ Gen Z.”

Cam inhales the rest of his salmon, happily bobbing his head to a beat the rest of us can’t hear.

“What about you, Miss Lane?”

She raises her eyebrows at Camron.

“You want a big family?”

“Hell, no,” she says, before clamping my mouth shut. “Sorry,” she mutters to our laughter. “What I meant was, I don’t want kids. Like, at all. Never have.” She smiles at Cam. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

Me and Cam share a look.

“What?” she asks as she glances back and forth between us.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” I point at Cam. “You’re cleaning the kitchen, and I don’t wanna hear a word about it.”

“I got you.”

I look over at Lane, who’s staring down at her plate with her hand splayed across her stomach.

“Cookies?”

“Not yet.” Her eyes meet mine. “I’m full. Dinner was delicious.”

I nod, then incline my head for her to follow me.

In the living room, I press a button, filling the room with smooth jazz. I hold out a hand. She rolls her eyes, following up with a smile that makes my night.

I pull her into my arms and sway us back and forth, relieved when her body slowly relaxes against mine and her arms encircle my neck. Her head finds its rest against my chest.

This is…what my life should be like. Every day. That thought hits me like a train.

I want to say something about what she wrote. To tell her that I understand now. She’s still in pain. She still doesn’t trust. She’s still scared to be vulnerable. This town triggers her because she doesn’t believe any of it is true. She doesn’t think it’s possible.

But all I can muster is, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she murmurs.

“That you were hurt like that.”

She lifts her head, smiling up at me. “Thank you, Dr. Trey, but you don’t need to heal me from things you didn’t infect me with.”

“I do, though, if it’s…” I trail off, smiling when her eyebrows lift. “You know what I just thought about? The night we met. Jazz. You on the dance floor. Me watching you.”

“I vaguely remember that.”

“Don’t laugh at this, but when you lost your shoe, I was calling you Cinderella in my head.”

She chuckles. “I don’t think Cinderella was ever drunk and disorderly, but I’ll take it.” Her brows crinkle. “Wait. What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“All of this. Reminiscing like it’s an anniversary of something. I don’t know.” She stops moving. “Is this genuine?”

“Everything I say and do is genuine when it comes to you.”

Her eyes narrow.

“I won’t beat around the bush, Lane. I’m too old for that shit. I like you. I’m feeling you. I don’t wanna see anybody else, and I wanna be the only man you see.”

“You wanna be exclusive?”

I nod. “I know you got eaters all over town, but I was hoping—“

Her soft punch to my chest stops me cold.

“What?” I say, laughing. “Am I lying?”

She rolls her eyes. “We can be exclusive.”

“Do you understand what you’re agreeing to? I’m your man now.”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

“Shit, I’m telling you. We good?”

She smiles up at me. “We’re good. As long as you’re okay with slow. I’m a lot slower to open up these days.”

“I know. I get that.” I tilt her chin up and kiss her lips, soft and lingering. “I know I need to be gentle with your heart. I have no plans to hurt you, Lane.”

She nods, then moves onto her toes to kiss me back. We stay in that kiss, in that embrace, until the song ends, and the brief silence is like a quiet reminder that I should probably clean up my mess before it gets any bigger.

“I need to tell you something,” I say.

But Cam picks that exact moment to appear in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. “Goodnight, y’all. Lane, it was lovely meeting you.”

She damn near pushes me out of the way to walk into his outstretched arms. They share a warm, polite hug, but he winks at me when Lane turns around, and my mouth-popping hand itches once again.

She returns to my arms where she belongs. “How did he do after everything happened with the fight and the divorce?”

I exhale. “It was a long, hard road,” I admit. “He’s still figuring shit out for himself. My ex had him in therapy.”

“That’s so smart of y’all to do that for him. It’s hard watching your parents fuck things up. It leaves a mark.”

“Yeah she had to sell me on it. Honestly, after what she did, I was predisposed to see wrong in everything she said. But I’ve grown since then.”

“That’s very mature, Trey. I know that wasn’t easy.”

I kiss her again.

“Oh, what were you gonna say before?”

“You met Mayor Daphne, right?”

“Oh!” She snaps her fingers. “Sorry, I meant to ask you something about her husband. It’s related to my work. Have you heard of Cognilynx?”

“Doesn’t ring a bell. What is it?”

“It’s a tech company. Artificial Intelligence. They moved here a few years ago. Pushed out a manufacturing plant somewhere way out.”

“Wait…” I trail off, my wheels turning. “I had a patient who worked at that plant. So that’s what it got replaced with?”

She nods.

“What does this have to do with the mayor?”

“Her husband is the CEO. Do you know him?”

The answer is yes, but I’d rather not get into all that, so I just say, “I’ve met him.”

She nods. “There’s something there, Trey. I can feel it in my bones.”

She looks so fucking happy right now, like a light is radiating out of her from deep inside. This is the thing she loves. Her relentless curiosity and tenacity is what drives her. That’s who she is, like medicine is who I am. It’s a beautiful thing to see, but also? It’s a problem.

“You wanna work right now, don’t you?”

She chuckles softly as her eyes shift away from mine.

“I noticed you didn’t bring an overnight bag. Lane, I told you I would love for you to stay over.”

“I know.” She looks up at me again. “I like my space.”

I stare into her eyes, trying to read her.

“Sorry, what were you gonna say about the mayor?” she asks.

Staring at her face, knowing we just crossed a major milestone, knowing she’s already terrified of opening up to a man again…I can’t do it. I can’t fucking do it. Not tonight.

“She throws a ball every year,” I say. “It’s coming up in a few weeks. I was wondering if you’d do me the honor of accompanying me.”

“You’re trying to turn me into Cinderella for real.”

I shrug. “That actually fits. The theme this year is fairy tale.”

“There’s a theme?” She shakes her head. “That was a stupid question. Of course there’s a theme.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yeah. I’ll accompany you, Trey.”

Even that is a milestone.

She’s putting her feelings about Lovetown aside to participate in it for me. Because she likes me. She’s letting her guard down. I can’t fuck that up. Not now. Not ever.

We start dancing again. Her warmth presses against me, her head on my chest, right against my heart. There’s an ache there, where the guilt is gnawing at me.

Fuck.

I realized something that makes the ache intensify.

Right now?

I’m no better than her ex.