Back Road Chances (Roughneck #2) by Nicole Hart

He’s loved me since we were seventeen. My head was clouded with mush. Mushy romantic feelings. What. The. Fuck.
    The sound of my phone ringing broke me from my thoughts.
    “Hey, momma!” I said with a smile when I answered.
    “Are you on your way home?” Lainey asked.
    “Yeah, I’m almost there. You on break?” I asked.
    “Yeah, I just wanted to check on you.”
    “Want me to come over tonight?” I asked.
    “Uh, Yeah! I’ve got a whole guilt trip lined out since you left me alone all weekend. By myself. Alone” she said with a giggle.
    “Ok. I’ll take it,” I said.
    “He told me he loved me,” I blurted out.
    “Shut up!!” Lainey squealed.
    “I know!” I said through a smile.
    “Wait!” Lainey said seriously. “What did you do?”
    Apparently I paused just a second too long.
    “Sam! Please tell me you didn’t take off! I’m gonna kick your ass if you’re not being honest with him!”
    “Chill out, damn, hormones.” I laughed.
    “Sorry, they are a little out of control,” she said.
    “I said it back,” I said quietly.
    “Sam, I’m so proud of you!” Lainey said, and I’m pretty sure I heard her clapping.
    “I gotta get back to work though; Dr. Weston has walked by the break room twice,” Lainey whispered.
    “Ok, I’ll see ya tonight.”
    “Be careful. Love you!”
    “Love you too, Lainey boo boo” I said, and then ended the call.
     
    Once I grabbed Patch from the kennel, I decided to head to Lainey’s early. I was just sitting on her porch swing when she pulled up after work.
    “Fancy seeing you here,” she said with a laugh when she got out of her car.
    “I missed my bitch,” I told her, as I gave her a hug.
    “Aw… I missed you too. But you’re the one who left me alone and went to see your man. Jase was a little pissy about the grin on Moon’s face all weekend, though,” Lainey said with a laugh.
    Jase and Moon were both drillers and relieved each other after tour. They only saw each other for a few minutes each day. But they were close and that made me happy. I was glad Moon had a friend there, not just his hands.
    “Well I definitely gave him a lot to smile about,” I said with a devious grin, as we walked into the house.
    “I’m sure you did, ya dirty slut.”
    We sat on the sofa and Lainey kicked her shoes off.
    “So! Spill it! How did you react when he finally said he loved you? And it’s about damn time, by the way.”
    “Well….I think I was in shock at first. I said stared at him like a fucking idiot.”
    Lainey started to giggle but didn’t say anything.
    “And then he got kinda pissed because I didn’t say anything back.”
    “But then you did?”
    “Yeah I did. I love him, Lainey; I just don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. Why can’t I be more like you?” I said.
    “Huh?” Lainey asked with her mouth hanging open.
    “I’m serious. You fell in love with Jase and didn’t hesitate. You weren’t scared at all.”
    “No, I was scared. Maybe just because it happened so fast and I couldn’t fight it. But I knew from watching my parents that real love existed, and I knew I had it with Jase.”
    “Maybe that’s why you’re scared, because of your parents,” Lainey said after a pause.
    “Because the bitch took off.” I said, as I shook my head.
    “I mean, our past shapes who we are, good or bad.”
    “You’re right,” I said.
    “It sucks sometimes, but it is what it is,” Lainey said, and exhaled as she laid her head back on the couch.
    “I don’t think Moon will leave me. He told me he’s loved me since we were seventeen.”
    “Shut up! Are you serious?” Lainey said with a huge grin on her face.
    “That’s what he said. I think that’s why I was so shocked; he said he’s loved me all these years and never stopped.”
    Lainey’s eyes welled up with tears and her chin started to tremble. I know my eyes got big when I looked at her.
    “Sorry, I’m a little emotional these days,” she said, as she wiped a tear