Page 130 of Rush
"Partly."
"What else?"
"Pyro's been riding my ass about something. It's fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
But I can see the weight on him, the way he's carrying pressure he's not sharing.
And I want to take it from him but I know I can't.
All I can do is be here.
I lean into him and his arm goes around my shoulders automatically.
"I'm here," I say quietly.
"I know."
"Whatever's coming, we handle it together."
He looks down at me and something in his expression softens.
"Yeah, we do."
Later, when we're lying in bed, I watch him check his phone for the third time in an hour.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"Nothing. Just club stuff."
"Rush."
He sighs and sets his phone down. "Your dad's flight lands at noon on Tuesday. Pyro's picking him up."
"And then?"
"And then he's coming to the clubhouse to have a conversation with me."
"What kind of conversation?"
"The kind where he decides if I'm good enough for his daughter."
"And if he decides you're not?"
"Then I prove him wrong."
The certainty in his voice makes me believe him.
"Okay," I say.
"Okay?"
"Yeah, okay. We handle it."
He pulls me closer and I rest my head against his chest, letting the weight of him anchor me.
