I sighed loudly as I passed Ty and opened my locker. “I thought you weren’t going to be mad at me if things didn’t work out between Blaire and me.”
“I’m not. I‘m just pissed that I got bitched out by my wife for even introducing Blaire to you. Apparently, I was supposed to know that you’re a douchebag, according to my wife. I told her that wasn’t the case, but she forbid me from talking to you.” He grinned at me as I buttoned up my shirt.
“Really? Let me know how that works out for you, then.”
“Women.” He shook his head, and I couldn’t help but smirk back at him. “So I’m guessing by that cocky ass look on your face that you and Della are back on?”
I nodded my head as I finished getting into my uniform. “Yup.”
“Well, I hope it’s worth it.” He patted me on the back. “Because I really took an ass chewing for you. You definitely owe me.”
“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
Luckily, there wasn’t any tension between Ty and me after that. I felt bad that he had to take shit from his wife because of me, and she had every right to be pissed. I was a dick to Blaire, and she was a great girl. Just not the right girl. I couldn’t even be mad about her reaction to the whole situation. Actually, I got off easy. Girls could get extremely vindictive when they wanted to be.
I finished out my shift, and crashed into bed as soon as I got home. It still smelled like Della and I inhaled deeply, pressing my nose into my pillow. I wished that she were here, but I knew that would be moving things a little too quickly. She would probably either laugh, or get a restraining order if I asked her to move in with me right away. Yeah, we’d already moved things quickly by having sex straight off the bat, but I didn’t care. It was just the right time, and I had needed her more than anything, right then and there.
But, now, I needed to make things right. I needed to show her how much she meant to me, and how I was going to treat our relationship as one of the most important things in my life.
I woke up early the next morning, not being able to sleep since I tossed and turned all night. After I took a shower, I headed to my mom’s house. It had been a couple of days since I checked in on her, but I knew she was holding up considerably well, because between my brothers, their wives, and me, we were trying to keep her company as much as we could.
“Mom,” I called out as I kicked my shoes off at the front door.
“In here, honey.”
I don’t know why I even bothered. She practically lived in the kitchen. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to find her sleeping in there. That was one thing I worried about, though. I don’t think that woman ever slept. I’m sure it was hard without my dad being there. I knew how hard it was for me not to have him around, I couldn’t imagine how it was for her.
We caught up on my life as she stood at the kitchen island, whipping up something that was in her mixing bowl and would probably end up amongst the overflowing pile of baked goods on the counter. My brothers and I liked to eat, but we couldn’t keep up with her. If we tried, we would probably end up weighing over three hundred pounds each.
“So, how are things going in the romance department for you?”
I rolled my eyes and shrugged my shoulders.
“Well, way to be vague, son. Have you seen any more of Della?”
Oh yeah, a whole lot of Della. And I planned to see a whole lot more very soon. Yesterday, I sent her a message within an hour of dropping her off. I needed to see her again, and I didn’t know how much longer I could wait. I felt like a drug addict that needed to find their next high. My knees twitched, my mind raced, and I could barely stay focused on what my mom was saying.
“Yeah,” I dragged on, trying to bite back a smile, but it was hard as hell.
“You have, haven’t you? Tell me all of the details,” she demanded excitedly, flailing her hands around so I would spill all of the gossip. I felt bad that my mom never had any daughters. Sure, she was pretty close with Molly and Sarah, but it wasn’t the same.
“There’s not much to tell, Mom.” Other than the fact that I had Della in my bed yesterday, and now, that’s where I wanted her to stay. Maybe I should put those handcuffs to use again then she wouldn’t be able to ever leave.
“Sure there isn’t. Well, this time around, how ‘bout you treat her like she’s supposed to be treated. This is your last chance, Justin. Knowing Della for the short amount of time that I have, I can tell you she is a very strong and determined girl. You’re lucky she’s even giving you the time of day. I know you’re my son and all, but I’m actually surprised she is, and you had better take advantage of it. Don’t mess things up. You’re a good boy. Your dad and I raised you the best we could, so act like it.” She ruffled my hair before standing up, kissing my forehead, and heading over to the oven to take something out.
My mom’s words might have sounded a little harsh, but they were true. And I needed to figure out how to let Della know that I was serious about things, and I wasn’t letting her go again.