Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
“But why?” I whisper, shaking my head in confusion. “It just doesn’t make any sense. Why would she want to give up her children?”
“Because she’s selfish, she’s always been selfish. She wants the same kind of freedom she thinks I had, but I’m telling you, one day she’ll regret it. When she does, she won’t be comin’ back into their lives. That much is for fuckin’ sure. You want to give up your kids now, then it remains that way.”
I swallow.
This is bad.
Those poor, poor boys.
They don’t deserve this. To meet a dad they’ve probably long forgotten, and get left with him while their mom disappears. It was hard enough the first time for them, it’ll be a whole lot harder now. Why would she be so selfish? Doesn’t she know they need her? They need her more than they need anyone else? She is their mother.
Plain and simple.
“What are you going to do?” I ask, my voice soft.
Bohdi is tense, so damned tense. “I’m keepin’ them. She doesn’t get a second chance, not after this. I’ll sign those papers and those boys will be mine. They need someone, though. They need...a mother. Someone to help them in ways I can’t. I don’t have the kind of warmth my sons need, Merleigh. I’m hopin’ you do.”
“You want me to be their fill-in-mother?” I ask, shocked.
“No, I want you to be their mother. I want you to be with me and for us to be a family.”
He does?
Oh god.
That’s a lot to take in.
I love him, he knows that and I know that, and those boys are beautiful but just a week ago, we weren’t in a good place and now he wants me to be their mother and basically his wife? That’s a big ask, and it’s daunting and overwhelming. I don’t know how to process that.
Not right now.
I turn and glance at the two boys who are now sitting on my sofa, watching television. They’re beautiful kids. They are.
“What about Daniel?” I ask, turning back to Bohdi.
“Daniel signed away his rights, as far as Sunny knows, I’m his father. He doesn’t want anything to do with Daniel and the feeling is mutual. He isn’t in the picture, and now, he never will be.”
I rub my hand down my face and exhale. “This is a lot, Bohdi. Really it is.”
“You don’t want it?”
“I didn’t say that...”
“Fuck, I thought you’d be jumping at the chance to have a family and be with me.”
His statement kind of makes me angry, maybe it’s how he delivered it, but he is just assuming I’ll want to dive in headfirst. This is a lot to take in, and I need some time to process it. The assumption that I’d just be happy and everything would be great, makes me agitated. Their mother just left them and Bohdi and I haven’t even made love. Now he wants us to be a family, just like that?
“You’re not even giving me a chance to process this, Bohdi. You just came in here, hit me with it, and expect me to just go along with it. Can you give me a chance here?”
“A chance for what?” he growls, “you want to be with me or you don’t.”
“You’re overreacting, and I understand it. You just got hit with some pretty intense news and it’s a lot to take in, but don’t you think you need time to process before coming here and proposing these things?”
“I know what I want. It’s clear you fuckin’ don’t.”
That makes me angry.
“I don’t?” I snap, quietly. “I wanted you, Bohdi. I made that very clear. You held me at arm's length when Isla returned. How dare you act like it’s me now.”
His jaw ticks.
“Can you please leave,” I say softly, trying to keep it together. “I need time to think, and you’re making it hard.”
He shakes his head, barks at the boys to come, and when they run out the door, he disappears with them. I’m hurt, hurt because he’s acting like I should just give in and give him what he wants, but he’s not considering that maybe I need a little time to wrap my head around all of this. Not to mention I just went through a hellish ordeal, and I’m struggling right now.
My heart aches as I grab my phone and call Waverly.
She doesn’t answer, neither does Briella, so I kick my shoes off and go for a walk down to the beach. I stroll along, breathing in the sea air, and I think about Sunny and Taj. I think about the life they’re being left to live and I wonder how it’ll all turn out for them. I think about Bohdi and our relationship and my mind swims with confusion and mistrust.
I don’t know what to do.
It has been a crazy week, and so much has come forth.