My stomach fluttered but I kept silent.
His arms tightened around me and I felt his muscles clench as he sat up, taking me with him. He settled on the edge of the bed, me stil straddling him, my hands at his shoulders. I looked down at him and he was looking up at me. He didn’t take his arms from around me.
“I talked to Eddie,” he said.
“I figured that,” I told him.
He dropped his head and kissed my throat, then kept his face there.
“Christ, Roxie, I’m sorry,” he said against my throat.
I closed my eyes and my arms tightened reflexively but I didn’t say anything. What was there to say? The last twenty minutes had been the best apology in the history of mankind.
He tilted his head back again. “You need to cal Tex and let him know you’re spendin’ the night with me.” I shook my head.
I was glad he didn’t think I was some sad, lost woman in love with an abuser, but I also wasn’t ready to pick up again with Hank.
“You need to take me back to Tex’s.”
His eyes got lazy. “You aren’t goin’ back to Tex’s.” I stared at him and I figured he was right, mainly because behind the lazy in his eyes was the intense and I knew, to get what I was trying to tel myself I wanted, I’d have to fight.
Since I didn’t real y want it anyway, I wasn’t prepared to fight.
He rol ed me to the side and my head hit the pil ow. He reached across me, grabbed his phone and handed it to me.
I cal ed Uncle Tex while Hank moved away and pul ed up his jeans but didn’t button them. He then pul ed down my skirt.
“Yo!” Uncle Tex boomed in answer.
“Hey, Uncle Tex. I’m with Hank.”
I heard a chuckle. “Yeah, I saw that. These boys are the shit,” Uncle Tex replied.
I sighed.
“I’m not coming home tonight.”
“Not surprised. Get Hank to bring you to Fortnum’s tomorrow, I’l put a key under the mat if you need to come home.”
“How’d it go with Mom?” I asked.
“She and Herb are comin’ out in a few weeks.” Hank was up on an elbow, leaning over me and, I couldn’t help it, I smiled at him. His eyes went soft and his hand went to my neck. He stroked my jaw and I bit my lip.
Silently, I shared my happiness and silently, he accepted it.
I mental y shook myself out of the moment.
“That’s good,” I said to Uncle Tex.
“Gotta go, told Nancy I’d cal her. She’s not gonna believe this, you and Hank, me cal ing Trish. Fuckin’ A. But things don’t stay borin’ around here for long.”
“I love you, Uncle Tex,” I blurted, then closed my eyes, wondering if that was too much for him.
There was silence, then, “Darlin’ girl.”
That’s al he said before he disconnected.
I opened my eyes and hit the off button on the phone.