Page 112 of Chasing Home
That city isn’t my home anymore. But the weight of that realization is too scary. I’ve been ignoring it out of fear. Once I admit it to myself, I have to make a decision far bigger than I was ever expecting to make on this trip.
Johnny’s fingers stroke my hip, the heat from them warming me through my dress. I turn my head to stare up at him, wishing we were alone. He’d know what to say to help settle my mind. I need him to say a million things to me right now, and that desperation is sinking deeper and deeper as we stand here.
Feeling the weight of my gaze, he drops his to look at me, his expression growing tender as he takes me in. “I think it’s time we get some food. You good with that, darlin’?”
I jerk my head in agreement. My smile is strained when I flash it at his moms and let him start guiding me away. My goodbye is weak. “We’ll talk again today.”
The two of them don’t look put off by our quick retreat, and I release a heavy breath at that.
“They’re going to hate me.”
“Who? My moms?” Johnny asks, doing a visual sweep of the backyard.
“Yes. I’m so fucking awkward.”
“They loved you, Rory. Trust me.”
I do. That’s the only reason I haven’t ducked out and run off. “Do they really know all of these people?”
“This is a small turnout, believe it or not. If Brody weren’t on tour right now, he’d be singing a couple of songs, and people from towns over would have come to see.”
“And this happens how many times a summer?” I ask, my tone heavy with anxiety.
He laughs, kissing my temple. “Just this once, I promise.”
“Alright. I can do once.”
Tugging us beneath the draping willow tree in the corner of the yard, he takes my chin between his fingers and crowds my face, blocking out everyone around us.
“What happened back there? You looked upset. Like you were stuck in your head.”
“I don’t want to talk about it here.”
“But we will talk about it, right?”
I focus on the soothing feeling of his fingers on my skin and let my eyes drift shut. “Yes.”
He drifts his lips over my nose. “Eliza and Wade are here. There’s a couple with them that I haven’t seen before. They’ve been watching you since you got here,” he murmurs.
My eyes snap open, immediately staring into his. “You don’t think . . .”
“That they’re Lee’s parents? Yeah, sweetheart, I do. Tell me what you want to do here, and we’ll do it.”
“Eliza must have called them,” I say on a breath.
“She saw how you were when you got back and made the call on her own. It’s a very Eliza move.”
“I want to talk to them.”
“Then that’s what you’ll do.”
I grip his belt buckle, feeling the bite of the cool metal. “Come with me. Please.”
“I will. But I’m getting you food first. You need to eat.”
“You’re being demanding again,” I tease lightly, unable to help myself.
“Just practicing for later. Now, come before your stomach growls loud enough for everyone around us to hear.”