Rocked (The Everyday Heroes World) - Julia Wolf Page 0,98
my heart currently shattered in a million jagged pieces.
“Would you ask Casey how she can be with a man who cheated?” He opened his mouth to answer, but I went on. “No, because that’s not her story. That’s you and me. I would never be with you again romantically for a hell of a lot of reasons, and yeah, that’s one of them.”
“But you’d be with Devon?”
I blew out a long breath. “I can’t even think about Devon without wanting to either punch something or cry.”
“Ah, shit, Kitty Kat. You’re in deep.” He nudged my chin with his knuckle. “What’re you going to do?”
“Nothing.” I cleared my throat. “I’m not doing anything. I need more than he can give, and I won’t beg.” I poked his bicep. “But one day, in the far, far, far distant future, if I do date a man again, I need you not to be a dipshit about it.”
That made him laugh and look toward the house. “I’ve got my girl back, and I don’t plan on letting her get away again. I’ll take a seat on your life.”
“Not only will you take a seat, but you won’t give me shit about spending time with this mythical man.”
The thought of being with anyone besides Devon was nauseating. But he’d opened my eyes and heart up to the possibility of maybe having someone steady. Not a dude I had to chase around to the detriment of my kid, but someone who added to my life.
Like Devon, my heart yelled.
Oh, go screw yourself, heart.
“I know I messed up when you were running late coming back from LA. I know it. But I also think you should consider letting Ellie spend time with Rose.” When I shook my head, he held up his hand. “I fucking know how far down the pain goes between you and your mom. But Ells loves her, and she truly has changed.”
My mom had been the one to find Ellie after her sting at the festival. She’d jumped into action, rounding up Veego and then coming to find me. And while we sat in the hospital, she’d come by to relieve Veego and me for a while. She hadn’t said a word about auras or healing oils or any of her new age bullshit. She’d been a solid presence for us all to lean on.
“I’ll consider it.”
He cocked his head, giving me a weary smile. “Will you?”
“Maybe.”
His head fell back as he groaned at the sky. “Stubborn until the end.”
“Mmhmm. Until the day I die.”
He hopped up from the ground and offered me a hand to pull me up. “By the way, I got a message from the rental service earlier. We’ve got a tenant for the next week, so, you know, try to be nice,” he said.
“I think I’ve had enough with making friends with our renters. I’ll just pretend they don’t exist like always.” I gripped his forearm as he turned to the house. “Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you ready to marry Casey now?”
His mouth quirked. “I am. She wants kids sooner than later, and...I was terrified of having another kid with god awful allergies like Ellie. I mean, I still am. But I want more kids too. I want to marry Case and grow our family. Ellie would murder someone for siblings, I know that much.”
I laughed. “She would. I swear she’s going to kidnap a baby one of these days.”
Veego glanced at the house. “Yeah...so I got to thinking about your favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quote. ‘It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.’ I can’t live my life based on fear. That’s no kind of life. I have to make my own light to fight the fears away.”
I raised a brow. “And if you get another kid like Ellie?”
“Then I’ll be damn lucky.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “For real. But I’ll also be prepared to deal with something like that.”
A knot stuck in my throat, so big, I could barely squeeze words out. Victor Domingo really was a great father, shortcomings and all.
“That’s the right answer,” I said. “I can’t wait to throw your bachelor party.”
“Ah, damn. You’re going to make me climb a rock, aren’t you?”
I laughed as we went into his house. “Oh hell yes I am.”
As soon as Ellie and I opened our front door, Leroy came bursting out. He did a few laps around the front yard, sniffing to make sure every corner was enemy-free, paying special attention to the mailbox, since