Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
The last of the words came out ragged.
All the hopes and the dreams.
His children.
Our love.
I stared at the stupid ring I still couldn’t bring myself to remove from my finger.
It glittered and danced in the spray of sunlight.
“I miss him so much.”
Eden ran her thumb over the back of my hand. “Because you’re missing the piece of yourself you gave to him.”
Tears kept streaming. “I don’t even want it back, Eden. I’m glad I got to experience it. What it felt like to find my Ace.”
“He was worth it. The risk.”
“Yeah, and well, the sex was pretty great, too.” I sent her a soggy grin.
Soft laughter rolled from Eden. “At least you know what it’s like now.”
Yeah, I knew what it was like.
I knew what it was like to be cherished.
Adored.
Worshipped.
“He loves me, you know,” I murmured. “He just doesn’t know how to separate that feeling from his fear.”
Eden hummed. “Fear is powerful, but love is stronger. Don’t forget that.”
Both our phones pinged at the same time, and I picked mine up to find a new message in the Fantastic Foursome thread.
Salem had sent a link with the caption: Just so everyone can keep up with the local news.
She capped it with a winky face.
I clicked on it and scanned through the news article that detailed the violent demise of one of the most wanted crime figures in California. Authorities had been searching for him for years.
Apparently, that man had been killed in an internal gunfight that had broken out between him and his men, leaving seven dead.
I’d honestly been terrified when the police officer had come in to question me about the mugging. Praying everyone’s involvement in this fiasco wouldn’t be discovered. Thank God they seemed to have bought it.
“This is all so crazy. I still can’t believe it happened. That I was involved in it,” I muttered. I glanced over at Eden. “I’m really thankful for everything. That Trent and the guys stepped up for us. I don’t know what would have happened if they hadn’t been there.”
“Trent and his brothers do what needs to be done to take care of their family. And you and Milo are a part of that.”
My chest squeezed, both in thankfulness and misery. “I hope you know what that means to me.”
“Of course, I do. You’re my soul sister, remember?” Her smile was only half a tease, riddled with the true affection she had for me.
“My ride or die,” I muttered with the slightest grin.
She gathered up my hand as she turned to face me. “I know you’re in pain right now, but you were right to take the chance. Even if he can’t feel it or accept it, you know it was real, and I hope you treasure that forever.”
My nod was shaky.
“Promise me you’ll never, ever stop fighting for that,” she continued. “For what you need and what you want, and promise me, you won’t be scared of taking the chance again when it comes to you. Because I know it will, and you deserve every ounce of joy in this world, Tessa McDaniels.”
I sniffled through a laugh. “I am pretty great, aren’t I?”
Eden smiled. “Yeah, you’re pretty great.”
FORTY-EIGHT
MILO
I stilled when there was a light tapping at the door, right before it creaked open and my mother called, “Knock, knock.”
From where I was loading the dishwasher, I glanced back to find her peeking inside.
Morning light flooded in around her, and she sent me a tender, wary smile.
Affection throbbed within the void.
“Hey, Mom,” I told her, turning back to place the last cup inside.
Quirking a brow, she stepped in and shut the door behind her. “Dishes again, I see.”
“Don’t you know they’re never done?” I made a vain attempt at keeping it light, to keep the misery out of my voice, but I was pretty sure I failed with the way her face pinched in worry.
She slowly approached, her black hair swishing around her shoulders as she angled her head to study me from across the room. “How are you doing?”
A grunt got free. “Same as yesterday.”
There hadn’t been a day that’d passed since everything went down that she hadn’t come to check on me.
I appreciated it, but I wasn’t sure what she thought was going to change.
I couldn’t stop myself from cringing when she took a seat at the spot I’d come to think of as Tessa’s. Couldn’t erase that girl from my mind. Couldn’t stop wondering how she was. If she was okay.
Knowing full well I was the one who was responsible if she wasn’t.
“Coffee?” I pulled the carafe from the stand and waved it at my mom.
“Sure.”
I made her a cup, set it in front of her, and tried to ignore the way everything ached.
She took a sip, then set the cup on the counter and exhaled heavily as she sat back in the stool, her expression tightening in emphasis. “It’s been two weeks, Milo.”