Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Baby.” Christopher cups my face in his hands. “How could you do that?” I wait for the anger to come in his voice. “How could you put yourself in danger like that?” His head shakes side to side. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“And tell you what?” I ask. “There was nothing to say. You would have probably gone apeshit over it, paid the debt off, and lied to me about it.”
I can see in his eyes that what I just said is what he would have done. “I was coming back,” he says, “and I was staging an intervention.” Now his words are the ones that shock me. “I didn’t give a shit what he said or what he did. I was taking him to get help.” I see the tears escape his eyes. “I never got that chance.”
My hands come to his sides, bunching his shirt in my hands. “I’ll never forgive myself for not doing it sooner.”
“Even if you did it sooner,” I tell him, “he was the one who had to hit rock bottom.”
“There are days when I hate him,” he admits softly, “but then there are days, like tonight, when I think of the good times.”
“You’re a good man,” I tell him.
“I don’t know about that.” He kisses my lips softly. “Because I wouldn’t trade you and the girls for him.” I see the anguish. “The girls are his, but you—” His voice is tight. “You’re mine. I’m not sorry you’re mine. I might be sorry about how it happened, but no way in fuck am I sorry for that. So I’m not sure I’m a good man.”
“The girls, they’re mine,” I correct him, “and you have to know with the way they worship you that they think the world of you.”
“I love you.” Three words I’ve been saying to him silently every single time I look at him. Three words I say to him while I look at him right before he takes me in his arms to fall asleep. Three words I say every single time he slides into me. “I love the girls.”
“I said it first,” I counter quickly. “Every single time you hang up the phone, I tell you I love you.” His smirk makes me smile.
“I don’t think that counts.” He steps closer to me. “Now, is that all you got?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“This last secret,” he says. “Is it all you’ve got?”
“It’s a pretty big one.” I gawk at him.
“So was mine,” he counters, and he’s not wrong. “You forgive me?”
“For what?” I jump back, his hands falling from my face.
“For not doing anything sooner. For not being the stand-up guy you think I am.”
“I’ve forgiven Benji,” I admit. “Tonight, here in the room, telling you my last secret I had held on to. Telling you I’ve let him go. I’ve forgiven him as much as I can.”
“I love you,” he says again, and I huff out.
“You can’t say it again.” I fold my arms over my chest. “You have to give me a chance to say it.”
“Baby, I love you.”
“Christopher,” I hiss, “you have to give me a chance.”
“You had two chances; you didn’t say it. I’m not going to not say it.” He takes my lips in a kiss. It’s hard and wet, and by the end of it, I’m plastered to his front.
“I love you,” I say breathlessly. “Ha, said it first.”
“Before,” he says, “you asked me if this is serious.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “Just so you know.” His hands grip my hips. “It’s as serious as forever.”
The gasp leaves my mouth. “I thought you would hate me for what I did and for keeping it from you,” I admit.
“Oh, we’re going to discuss you keeping this from me,” he warns, “but we’ll do that naked so I can smack that ass of yours.” He bends now, his forehead to mine. “I love you, baby.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
christopher
I’m rinsing off the dinner plates while Koda gives the girls their bath. My phone rings from the island where I put it when I came in, right next to my keys and wallet. Shaking the water off my hands before grabbing the dishrag, I walk over and see it’s Dylan and he’s FaceTiming me.
I press the green button and wait for his face to fill the screen. “Where are you?”
“Hello to you too.” I ignore his question.
“Yeah, hello,” he snaps. “Now answer my question, where are you?”
“I’m at Koda’s,” I say, and if he’s calling me, I know that things in the family have been chattering. With my family, there is always chatter. Usually it’s just light and did you hear, but if my big brother calls me and asks me where I am, it’s because he heard something. He usually lets Alex deal with all the other little stuff.