I don’t bother telling her that I think they already are.
“They think I’m always with my mom,” I fib.
“That makes sense. How’s she doing? Did she get those new test results back?”
Avalon was the only person I talked to after my mom’s inconclusive results, but I can’t believe she remembered.
“No.” I shake my head. “I think she should be getting the results back tomorrow if I remember correctly.”
“Will your dad be with her when she gets them back?”
“No.”
“Even though you’re not there to hear the results with her?” she asks. “He’s gonna let her find out results like that alone?”
“He’s probably gonna be swamped with work,” I respond. “That’s usually the excuse.”
“I know you’ve told me a lot about that situation when it comes to your dad not being around, but I guess I always thought it was because he knew you were there with her. But the thought of her being alone just—”
“Sucks,” I cut her off. “I know. I think I’ll video chat her to be there for support.”
“Have I told you recently that you’re a great guy, Zeke?”
“I know.”
“Ha.” She throws her head back in laughter. “You’re ridiculous.”
And then we’re just quiet, almost like we’re both just sitting and admiring each other.
“If I knew her,” she whispers, “I’d go to the hospital and make sure she had someone to hold her hand while she got her results. Good or bad, she shouldn’t have to find out alone.”
God, I wish I could kiss her right now. The guys love my mom. I know they do. They grew up with her in their lives, but I’ve never had someone come into my life after her diagnosis and care more about my mom than me.
I guess I never give anyone the chance to; I usually keep my mom’s health to myself, but with Avalon, opening up is so easy.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” she asks.
“Being you.”
thirty-three
Avalon
January
We spend too much time together. I knew when we became friends with, scratch that, acquaintances with benefits, that most of our nights would be spent together. I never thought most of our days would be spent together, too.
We mainly watchBonestogether every chance we get. This is the excuse I use for why we’re together so much… because neither of us is patient enough to wait to watch the next episode.
But I don’t think either of us believes that’s why we’re together. Half the time, we aren’t even having sex anymore. Our nights feel much more like a relationship than anything else. We have dinner together, cuddle on the couch or in bed, and Zeke spends the night without expecting us to do anything.
I never would’ve let a guy spend the night, especially if we weren’t having sex. But something about Zeke changed my perspective on everything a relationship means. Not that I’d tell him. But maybe I don’t have to. I think kissing him during sex before he left told him just that. Now the ball is in his court.
We both know we missed each other. We talked every day he was away; I might’ve even sent him some sexy pictures to keep him tied over until he got back. Something I’d never done before. And the second he got back, he was here, and I stayed up until one in the morning just waiting for him to show up.
And since he’s been back, we live our days on repeat. Sex. Eat.Bones. Sleep.