Oof. Ben wasn't the only affection- or maybe it's Bridget-starved person here. I've been dodging men, feelings and drama since we landed.
***
Caleb thinks the whole trip was a personal affront. He's challenged Lochlan to wage love on home turf and see who emerges victorious. I can't wait for the jousting at sunrise. For fucks sake. Lochlan, to his credit, reminded Caleb of the umbrella on fire, that he has it covered, thanks, but that a mental and physical getaway is important and Caleb can stuff it.
***
The entire rest of the house thinks Lochlan is throwing up a human shield, himself to be exact, to keep me away from Jay, who's been fresh back a whole week and I've hardly talked to him besides. I tell them they're jumping to conclusions and they remind me that I don't have a man's mind so I wouldn't know.
Ah. Mansplain it to me, Dunk.
No point.
Gatekeeping, then, is what you're doing. Seriously.
God, why are you talking like Yoda, Bridge? I think you left your brain on the coast.
Oh, I totally did. I'm fine with that.
***
August thinks I was away too long.
It was three days.
Four.
Three nights.
Right.
What?
I worry about you.
With Lochlan? That's something you need to fix.
But he doesn't get it. Lochlan isn't any sort of threat to anything or anybody. He's been in charge of me since I was in the single-digit ages and I'm still alive, I have perfect manners and I can fend for myself. I'll scream the whole time I'm doing it but I'm capable. But he also hobbled me emotionally and I can't exist without a metric crap-ton of doubled-down weapons-grade affection or I hit a wall and dissolve. Yes. Explain that one. Child- and Teenage-Bridget adores him for it. Adult-Bridget can't even figure out how it all happened, other than imprinting being the best explanation I've ever heard.
Soulmate as a definition is a distant second.
Fate a shadowy third.
***
PJ shoves a list across the counter at me. You're behind.
I think it's time for you to have a vacation. Also, my chores are supposed to be absorbed by the rest of you if I can't do them. Slackers.
Yours were. These are new.
Great.
Hey, you just came back from not having to lift a finger. No sympathy from me.
I don't know what kind of vacations you take but in my universe it's only a location break. We cooked. We swept constantly to keep sand out of the house-
I thought you had cereal.
Still have to pour it in a bowl, pour the milk in, dump in a cup of sugar-
I'm glad you're home though.
Are you? I am too. I missed my guys.
Me the most though, right?
Uh. Yeah. Right. You the most.
You're even cute when you lie, Bridge.
Thank God for that.
