Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“I grew up to be a lot of things you wouldn’t expect, but does flirt surprise you?”
“Flirting with me does.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to do it a lot so you get used to it.”
Shane shook his head. “God, this is weird.”
“The thing is…it doesn’t feel weird to me.”
Shane sighed because he thought maybe Van was right. They took a sharp nose dive into the friendship…temporary friends with benefits…whatever the fuck it was, but it felt a whole lot more natural than he thought it would. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He turned toward his truck. “Come on. Let’s get this show on the road. I’m fucking starved.”
“Yeah…yeah, I’m hungry too.”
*
They spent the evening on the back deck again.
It was a whole hell of a lot easier to breathe out there—the fresh and clean air. He couldn’t say if it was being around Shane in his element or just being out of his mom’s house.
The day still weighed heavily on him, but he tried to keep that shit at bay, not wanting it to ruin his night.
Shane threw potatoes in the oven to bake and they grilled the steak. Van helped him put a salad together and then they sat at the table outside and enjoyed their meal together.
“Sometimes, I hate that my past here has ruined this place for me. I went and took some photos today, and sitting out here, I realize there really are so many things I love about it,” Van told him. He watched as Shane pushed a piece of lettuce around on his plate.
“Yeah, I can understand that. It’s tough even for me sometimes. There are moments where I want nothing more than to get into my truck, drive away and never come back.”
Van frowned, those words surprising him.
“But then there are times where I look around at all the beauty, walk down the streets I know so well, and don’t know if I could live anywhere else. Even if it wasn’t for my mom.”
There was a pang in Van’s chest. Jesus, he couldn’t imagine what it was like, to feel that sense of obligation to another person. To love someone that much. He’d never felt that way about anyone and he sure as shit knew no one had ever felt that way about him. “I’m sorry,” Van told him.
Shane shrugged. “It is what it is, ya know? She loves the hell out of me and I love her. She’s sick and that’s what you do when you love someone, you take care of them.”
No one had ever loved Van enough to do that for him, not even his own mother.
He had a lot of respect for the man sitting across from him right now.
“You’re looking at me funny. Stop looking at me like that,” Shane said on a grin.
“I can’t help it.”
“If you can’t help it, who can?”
“You.” Van smiled back at him.
“How can I change how you look at me?”
“Stop being so damned charming.”
Shane rolled his eyes, but Van swore he saw a light blush rise to Shane’s cheeks.
“That line work on all the LA boys?” Shane asked.
“No, I usually just ask them ‘your place or mine?’”
They both laughed and goddamn, he enjoyed Shane’s company. “The pictures I took today…they were for your mom. I need to print them off for her.”
Shane gave Van a frown he didn’t expect. “That okay?” Van asked.
“That’s more than okay. It’s…thank you. For thinking about her. For being kind to her. You don’t know how much that means to me.” The sincerity in Shane’s voice worked its way under Van’s skin.
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s everything.”
Damned if that didn’t make Van feel good. Special. After years of making Shane feel like shit, he liked making Shane happy.
“How was your day with your mom?” Shane asked.
“Not good. He left me money…the business. I don’t want either of them.” He looked at Shane’s kind eyes. “She gave me a letter from him.”
“Did you open it?”
“Took everything in me not to burn it.”
“Understood,” Shane replied.
“Will you show me your shed?” Van asked, wanting to change the subject.
“Is that some kind of LA slang for my asshole? If so, you’re gonna at least have to kiss me first.”
“I didn’t kiss you before I got to see your dick,” Van teased back. It was funny how well they got along. How comfortable they felt together. Or at least Van felt that way with Shane.
“Most people don’t win the lottery twice.” Shane winked and they both laughed again. He took a drink of his beer and Van let him have the moment, not wanting to push Shane but really wanting to see that part of him.
“Yeah…yeah, I’ll show you my shed. Don’t think I do this with just anyone. But I guess since you blew me and you asked, I have no choice.” His words came out playfully but the thing was, Van knew they were true. Shane didn’t do that with just anyone.