Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 83167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Yep, could see a woman worshiping at the altar of that.
“That probably works too,” he replied, and his smile dimmed, but didn’t fade before he said, “But as awesome as you are, babe, it’s not the miracle cure. And that’s gonna suck for you because when you care about somebody, you think that emotion, if you give enough of it, will cure anything. It’d be fantastic if it did. But it doesn’t. It won’t go away because what he saw and did will never go away. He’ll learn to cope with it his way, part with your help, but this is something that isn’t about you.”
Oh yeah.
Love and care and support not being the cure?
That was going to suck.
“Where it goes wrong is when you make him feel, whether on purpose or not, that you think you should be enough,” Auggie carried on. “When you make him feel what you can give should be the only therapy he needs. That backfires because he’ll know you’ll be thinking that, he’ll feel shit that you’re thinking that, and he can’t give it to you. It will add guilt to other crap he’s got piled on him. All that gets twisted, for both of you, and if you’re not careful, it gets twisted sometimes in a way you can’t get straight.”
I wondered if he knew this from experience.
I didn’t ask then, and not only because I didn’t get the chance.
“Sounds simple,” Boone entered the discussion. “‘Just be there for him.’ But as you can see, it isn’t. It’s a challenge. But you got a leg up, Mac. Most women look at a man like Mo and it’s a turn off, what they perceive as a weakness. They don’t wanna know. They want him to sort himself out so he can be strong to take care of their shit. So you’re already doing what you need to be doing. It just doesn’t feel like it.”
I glared at Boone while he spoke, and when he was done talking, declared, “I totally should have torn Tammy’s hair out when I had the chance. Stupid Mo. He made me stand down. If I see that bitch again, it’s gonna make my fights with my sister seem like a cakewalk. And both Jet and I have grips of steel.”
“We’ll arrange a takedown,” Mag offered, now not looking troubled, only looking amused. “One condition. We all get to be there to watch.”
“Grip of steel,” Boone muttered. “Mo is one serious lucky fuck.”
That made me feel better.
Slightly.
But it made me feel better.
I shot Boone a smile and said to them all, “Don’t clean the kitchen before you go. I’ll need something to do waiting for Mo to get back.”
“I went to the store yesterday. Does this mean, while you’re waiting, you’re gonna adjust all the smartwater and Nakeds in the fridge so they’re facing forward like you did on Tuesday?” Mag inquired.
“Of course,” I answered.
“Can I clone you?” Mag asked.
“No,” I answered through a smile.
“Bummer,” he muttered through his own smile.
I headed to the stove to grab the greasy skillet, ordering, “Eat. Go take on the mountain. But leave some of it for other nature lovers.”
They did the first part.
But before they took off to do the last, I got warm hugs and a few kisses on the top of my head (this relaying precisely how much it meant to them I gave a shit about Mo, which in turn relayed to me precisely how much they loved Mo), and Auggie, the last one out the door, called to me, “Everything’s gonna go good tonight, Lots. But we’ll see you later for the pep talk.”
Later for the pep talk?
“Be cool,” he bid and then the door closed on him.
Again, pep talk?
They were gone, so I couldn’t ask, and they thought I was awesome, and they might not think that if I ran to the door, opened it and shrieked, “What do you mean, pep talk? Do I need a pep talk?”
So I didn’t do that.
I cleaned the kitchen.
And I tidied the fridge.
All while I waited for Mo.
* * * *
“Be better if you were in here with me,” Mo groused.
He might be right.
But from where I was sitting on the bathroom counter watching him in the shower, he was so very wrong.
“I already took a shower,” I reminded him.
“Another reason we’re gonna have words,” he muttered irritably.
“Dude, you totally cheated me by falling for me and then catching the bad guy before I had the chance to sit in the bathroom while you showered. Throw a girl a bone,” I replied.
His silver eyes turned to me while water sluiced his big body, making it all wet and slippery.
“I would, if you got your ass in the fuckin’ shower with me.”
I grinned at him.
He scowled at me and turned back to face the water.