Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 123153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
There’s a huge part of me that wants to wait until we get through all this drama, but that’s just more time. Time I’m not willing to waste. I just pray it’s possible.
Gio and Jace both reach to squeeze a hand and I relax into the comfort they lend me. I can do anything with them. We’ve got this.
Here goes nothing.
Chapter 35
Favor Done
Gio
I tug Ny into my side and kiss the top of her head. She hasn’t said a word since we left the clinic and got into the car. I, for one, am in shock. We’re about to do this.
Nyla will go through some tests and she has to do a panel of blood work, but we’re moving forward to be parents. I didn’t know I wanted this so much. Not until I watched the light in Ny and Jace’s eyes.
This will make my family happy. That brings me more joy than I know how to express. Which is why I need to fix this shit so we can move on with our lives.
“Talk to me,” I murmur into her hair as we ride in the SUV.
She’s silent at first, causing me to believe she’s not going to answer. When she lifts her head and looks in my eyes, all I see is sadness.
“The first thing I wanted to do when we walked out of there was call my mom. It still stings like it was yesterday and not twenty-six years ago.
“I know how bad I want this, but a part of me wonders if I’m being selfish. What if I fuck our kids up? I’m a trained killer, Gio. Going to therapy isn’t an option. Look at how that worked out for Tony Soprano.”
I snort a laugh and cut her off, brushing a hand over her hair. “First, we’re not an HBO series. This is our real life. I don’t think there’s any real time limit on grieving. To be honest, you never got to grieve.
“I don’t think you should deny yourself your greatest desire because you’re still hurting for an amazing woman who would be hard to forget if you got to spend sixteen years or forty-one with her. All we can hope to do is keep her memory alive in our children.
“I know she’s proud of the woman you’ve become. I am.” I smile and lean in to kiss her lips.
She looks into my eyes and smiles. “Thanks, I needed to hear that.”
“Jace, pull over. I want to go in that stationery shop. I think we’ll all get journals.”
“Like when we were little?” Ny gasps. “I used to love that.”
My smile broadens. It was her mom’s idea. She brought the three of us notebooks to write in.
We would sit in front of the fireplace during sleepovers and hand over our journals to the person next to us to share. Read, pass, repeat. It was Beth’s way of getting Jace to open up to Ny. I think we became closer through those notebooks. It couldn’t hurt now.
“That’s a good idea,” Jace says from the driver’s seat. “And he’s absolutely right, Ny. I think you’re going to make a great mom. Your mom is smiling down on us.”
“I hope so,” she says softly.
Luckily, Jace finds a meter to park at and steps out of the SUV. I reach for Ny’s legs to pull them into my lap as I place her shoes back on her feet. Jace comes around to open the door for her. When he opens it, he stands in his caramel-colored leather peacoat that matches his dress boots perfectly. I pull a face and nod.
This was important to him. He dressed up for the occasion. I hope that’s not lost on Ny.
Jace isn’t as calm and collected as he appears today. The loose strands of hair in his face are my first indication. He keeps that man bun neat when he’s in control.
I wrap an arm around Ny’s waist and lean into her ear. “He needs you. You’re not the only one coming apart. Let him know you’re not going to back out on him,” I whisper.
She nods. “Yeah, I’m noticing,” she whispers back.
When she steps from the car, she places a hand on his chest and lifts onto her toes to whisper to him before wrapping her arms around his waist. Jace closes his eyes and nods at whatever she says as he sways her.
I place a hand on his shoulder and give it a gentle squeeze. Once inside, it doesn’t take long for me to figure out they don’t have what I’m looking for. Instead, I order custom journals for the three of us and have them shipped to the house.
Once the order is placed, I flick my wrist out to look at the time. We should get going, I need to catch Toni. It’s time I make her indebted to me. I’ll give her Alderman and she’ll hand over what I need. They have a new witness. I need that name.