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)
Grateful for the way out, Van stood too. Actually, Shane really had let him off the hook easily, and Van appreciated the hell out of it. The longer they’d sat there the tighter his skin became. Those people all saw him as Maxwell, who was the last person he wanted to be.
“Oh, well I hope to see you around,” Tate said.
“Sure. You too…and I go by Van now.” Tate had always been a pretty decent guy, even though he looked baffled about the name thing. Van didn’t feel like explaining. As they made their way to the bar to pay, Van said, “Thanks, man. I….”
“Yeah, I hear you. I needed to get out of here too,” Shane replied without Van having finished his sentence. It’s what he had been thinking though.
Van insisted on paying for the beer, and he was surprised that Shane let him. When they stepped into the warm night, he inhaled a deep breath, the scent of clear air and nature filling his senses in a way that didn’t happen in LA.
“It smells good out here,” Van said.
“Smells like home.”
Van looked at him then, wondering even more about him. Was Shane completely happy here? Had he ever wanted anything else? It was okay if he hadn’t; Van just didn’t know and he wanted to. Wanted to know as much about Shane as he could.
“Thanks again for getting me out of there. I have to admit, I don’t want to go back to my mom’s house though.” That place wouldn’t ever be his home. He had some fond memories of Last Chance, but not that house. “You tired of me yet?” he joked.
“Fuck yes,” Shane replied with a smile, before adding, “You trying to go home with me?”
Van shrugged, a nervous excitement ratcheting through him. “If you want to look at it that way. We don’t have to go to your house though. I like your company. I didn’t expect to like much of anything on my trip, but I like this.” Van spent eighteen years holding back. The day he left he made a promise to himself not to do it anymore, and he didn’t plan to start now.
Shane looked at him skeptically. His brows knit together and his forehead wrinkled. He had the urge to reach over and rub them out. Van thought for a moment he was going to say no but then he gave Van a slow nod and said, “Yeah, yeah, okay. I have beer and quiet.”
“Two of my favorite things. Where do you live?”
“Next to my mom,” Shane replied and then watched Van as though he was looking for some sign of pity.
Oh yeah. He’d forgotten Annie said Shane lived on the same property only in a different house. Van pretended he didn’t know.
“You can follow me. I built a second home on the property and have another driveway. Gives me some privacy, at least.”
As he looked at Shane, he thought about the fact that he’d stayed the whole time, that he built himself a life, while also taking care of someone he loved. Pity was the last thing Van felt for him. Respect, yes. Pity, fuck no.
“I’ll follow you out.” As they turned to head for their separate vehicles, Van stopped, and said, “Hey, Shane?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
Shane nodded. “You have nothing to thank me for.”
But really, he did.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Shane’s eyes darted to the rearview mirror and saw the headlights were still behind him. Van’s headlights, which meant Maxwell’s headlights and Jesus fucking Christ, how had they gotten to that point?
He’d seen Van’s discomfort grow every time someone different approached him. It had to be hard for him, navigating who this town thought he was compared to the person he’d grown to be, which even Shane wasn’t exactly sure who that was.
He hit his blinker and then slowed down to turn into his driveway. Those same headlights followed, bumping along the gravel road behind him.
Shane pulled up in front of a log house, with the small front porch, and got out of his truck just as Van pulled his smaller car up beside him. He waited for Van to kill the engine and then step out. The flood lights had already come on. Van ran a hand through his curly, dark hair and then made his way toward Shane. “Nice place,” he said and Shane playfully rolled his eyes.
“Ah, come on. Don’t do that. Don’t give the obligatory compliment.”
“What?” Van replied. “That’s not what I’m doing. I like it. I miss places like this. My condo in LA definitely doesn’t look as homey as this.”
They walked forward and stood at the stairs that led up to his porch. “I don’t know if I could handle neighbors that close.”
“You get used to it,” Van replied as Shane opened the door. There was a small lamp on in the living room, which was the first room they walked into. Van stepped inside behind him and looked around as Shane moved to close the door.