“Oh.”
“Yeah, and it basically was Mom’s way of paying my aunt for me because she gave it to my aunt when we came over that day.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Why would I lie?”
We’re quiet for a moment, both staring at the picture, but I keep shooting him glances.
“Zac? I’m glad you’re sharing all of this with me.”
He shudders. “It’s not easy having a visitor.”
"No? Not used to having female company here?" I ask, keeping my tone light.
"Not used to having company here, period."
I furrow my brow. “You haven’t had the other guys here?” I ask, shocked.
“I haven’t brought anyone else here ever,” he says. “Come on. The kitchen’s this way.”
It’s a massive kitchen with an island and a double oven that would be perfect for cooking Thanksgiving dinners. The dining room table is way too long for one person or even four people, and the family room is large enough to house a party. We head upstairs, and he shows me a room he uses for storage, a guest room, bathroom.
And so the tour ends with this last room down the hall upstairs, which has to be his bedroom.
Zac doesn’t reach for the doorknob, however. He just points to the door. “That’s my bedroom.”
I stare hard at the door. “It’s lovely,” I tease.
Honestly, I’m not surprised. I know he’s wary and careful. He doesn’t want to get too close to anyone, not after his parents abandoned him and then his aunt didn’t give him the time of day either. He probably feels undeserving of love.
Which isn’t true in the slightest.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I tell Zac as he leads the way back to the living room.
“We can stay here as long as you want,” he says.
I hesitate. “I would love to stay longer, but I can’t ignore everything that’s waiting for me much longer.”
He nods. “That’s fine. I can take you back now.”
“Zac?” I reach over and grab his hand. “You bringing me here means the world to me. Can I kiss you? On the cheek?”
“No.”
He answered right away and very empathically.
I try to conceal my disappointment. “Sure. That’s fine.”
“How about on the lips?” he asks, and I am more than willing to oblige.