Foster walks over to me, looking serious. Please don't tell me we're going somewhere or someone went missing or something to do with the black swan.
Her nervousness floats through the air. How bad could this be?
I reach for her hand. "Foster, what's wrong?"
"We need to tell Grady."
"Can we not?"
She smiles. "It's been 2 months. And I stay over at your apartment like twice a week. We probably should."
"But would he let us continue that?"
"Probably not. But I'm 19. I'll probably move out soon."
"Where would you move?"
She pauses, glancing around the apartment. "I don't know." She's lying.
"Would you like to move in with me?"
Her face lights up and she just wraps her arms around me. "Really? I could move in?"
My arms go around her. "Of course. I'd love that."
She just rests against me. "We still have to tell Grady and Edaline."
"I know. Can we go in 3 years?"
"How about 20 minutes?"
"What'll we do for 20 minutes?"
"Well, I just woke up, so I'm gonna go get dressed. When I come out, let's go."
"Fine."
She grins as she walks off.
***
We walk up the steps. I swear there's more than there was last time.
Maybe Grady's trying to kill me before I even make it to the top. That's a very Grady thing to do.
Foster's more nervous than she's been for a while.
I wrap an arm around her, which both helps and makes her more nervous that Grady would see this. I guess the arm thing was a bad idea.
I pull away. She leans back into me. "Keefe. Please just hold my hand."
I smile and wrap it back around her.
As we reach the top, the door opens for us.
Grady stares at her, me, then my hand in hers. Of course.
"To what do I owe this visit?"
Sophie laughs. "We need to talk to you."
Grady's smile falls. "What do you need to talk about?"
She drops my hand. "Let's go sit."
We walk into the house and her voice fills my head. I don't know where this is going. He could take it either way.
We take a seat. Foster starts the conversation. "So... um... I have a boyfriend."
He looks up. "Oh, who is it? Why did you bring Keefe for moral support?"
He doesn't want it to be me. I mean... I always knew he didn't like me. But... he can't even picture me with her? I'm never going to be able to be with her.
Foster wraps an arm around my shoulders. "I am dating Keefe."
Grady looks at me, shock floating through the air, mixed with... something.
"Welcome to the family, Keefe." He stands, gesturing for me to stand. Foster pulls away from me, letting me stand.
Grady wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a hug.
He accepts us. Me.
He actually cares.
No one cares.
I lean into his hug as a voice calls out, "What's going on here?"
Edaline.
Foster calls out, laughter in her tone, "Grady's hugging Keefe!"
"Now this I have to see." She walks in and slow claps.
Grady lets go of me and we're all laughing.
He adds, "Well, do you two wanna stay for dinner?"
Foster glances at me, grinning and wanting to stay, so, both because I want to and because I want to see her happy, I say, "We'd love to."
