at him. “You could have talked to me… No, wait, never mind. That makes me an asshole to say that, and I don’t mean it. I’m glad you went. I just miss you, and I feel like we aren’t that close when you are gone.”
When her eyes filled with tears and she looked away, his heart lurched in his chest. “Baby,” he said softly and she shook her head.
“Ignore me. I’m on a whole other level right now.”
“Sugar thighs, we are still very close and I miss you so much,” he said to reassure her. “I know I could have talked to you, but you are one-sided, y’know? You hate my mom with good reason, and I know what you would say. I wanted the opinion of someone who doesn’t know her.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said slowly, wiping her face. She waved him off. “I’m just tired, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said quickly, his eyes searching hers. He wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and pull her into his arms. He could tell she was struggling, which he was too. For the last couple of months, it had been just the two of them, and now it was only her. In a huge house, by herself, when she never had lived alone before.
“So the therapist did help?” she asked, wiping her face, and he nodded.
“Yeah, baby, she did. She was nice,” he said and she smiled.
“I’m glad.”
“Are you okay?” he asked and she shrugged.
“Yeah, I am. Like I said, just tired.”
But he felt like it was something more. “Talk to me, baby.”
She leaned on her hand, wiping her face and then sucking in a deep breath. “I’m lonely.”
He figured, and as his lips curled, he said, “I’ll be home in two days, and I promise I’ll do you in the car.”’
She giggled, which was what he wanted, her face breaking into a grin as she let her head fall back, laughing. “There’s my smile,” he said and she glanced back at the phone and smiled wider.
“It sucks you being gone, like really.”
“I know,” he agreed and she looked away.
“I’ve actually been thinking a lot, and what do you think of me opening a gym?”
He made a face, surprised by her statement. “Don’t you have those interviews with Bellevue?”
She nodded. “And I’m gonna go. But I’ve been training the Assassins’ wives and it’s so much fun. I love it.”
“Then do it,” he said quickly. “Anything that makes you happy, I’m down for.”
She smiled. “Yeah, I’m still considering it.”
“You should do it. Talk to Lacey, she’s good with that stuff. Business and all.”
She chewed on her lip, thinking for a moment. “Yeah, maybe I will. I’m gonna see her tomorrow.”
“Good, let me know what happens.”
“Of course, I will,” she promised and then she looked up. “So we are still going to dinner with your mom?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna give her a chance to be in my life, and if she doesn’t want it, then I’m gone.”
She nodded and he could tell she didn’t think his mom deserved even that much, which she didn’t. “Well, you know how I feel about it.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I do.”
“Well, then I guess I’ll prepare myself not to punch her in the throat, no matter how much I want to.”
“Yeah, hold that in,” he laughed. “I don’t want to bail you out of jail when I need to be investing in Gym Khaos, with K, of course,” he said with a wink and she grinned big.
“You do love me, huh?” she said sweetly, batting her lashes, and he nodded.
“More than you know,” he admitted. “So much more.”
As her eyes lit up and a grin spread across her whole face, he knew he could never love her enough.
There wouldn’t be enough time.
He’d need at least seven lifetimes, but since he only had one, he wouldn’t stop until that smile never left her lips.
“I forgot my darn flip-flops,” Lacey complained as she met Kacey in front of the nail shop. “Did you bring yours?”
Kacey shook her head, her fingers wringing together as her heart pounded in her chest. Ever since she’d sat on the toilet in her bathroom and watched as the word PREGNANT came up on the pregnancy test, her heart hadn’t slowed. To say she was elated and surprised was an understatement, but she was already scared out of her mind. She sort of felt bipolar, because one minute she was ecstatic, couldn’t wait to tell Jordie and get ready for a new baby. Then