The Boy Who Has No Belief - Victoria Quinn Page 0,93

to be retrieved later.

Emerson’s eyes softened as she shut the door behind her then walked with me up the stairs and into the building. We headed to her floor, and Lizzie slept against my chest the entire time, like she was so deep in sleep that none of the movements made her open her eyes.

Emerson got the door unlocked, and I carried Lizzie into her bedroom, stepping inside the room for the first time and seeing her pink pillows, her stuffed animals, and the book I’d signed for her on her nightstand.

I set her on top of the bed and rested her head on the pillow.

She immediately turned over and pulled her knees to her chest.

Emerson grabbed the blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over her so she wouldn’t get cold. Then we left the bedroom and headed back into the living room.

She faced me, her arms over her chest. “I know you’ve had a long weekend so you’re probably eager to go home, but you’re welcome to stay if you want.” She looked into my eyes with that heavy feeling, like every moment with me was a gift she didn’t deserve.

The feeling was mutual. “I’d love to.”

A soft smile moved over her lips before she took my hand and pulled me into her bedroom. The bedroom door shut, and she immediately slid her fingers underneath my shirt and pulled it over my head, slowly stripping me down. It was late after a really long day, but that didn’t seem to deter her from having me. Her hands glided up my chest before she looked at me. “Lizzie told me what you said to her.”

I stared into her eyes as I felt her touch me, felt her right palm move over my chest so she could feel my beating heart. My body was quiet, gentle and peaceful, like she brought me into this still and beautiful place. “I meant it.”

“I know you do.” She moved into me and hooked her arms around my neck, drawing me close as she rested her forehead against mine, her fingers lightly playing with the hair at the back of my neck. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me…you know that?”

My arms circled her waist, and I gripped her against me, feeling both pain and euphoria in my chest. “I know. And you know you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

24

Emerson

We sat together in the theater, Lizzie in between us.

She kept digging her hand into Derek’s popcorn and stealing handfuls before shoving them into her mouth.

Derek kept his eyes on the screen, his brown eyes lit up and reflecting the light from the screen. He didn’t care at all. He let her have as much as she wanted, absent-mindedly including her in his life without thinking about all the space and independence he had to give up because of her.

I was living in a dream, having a man like that who loved us both. He was so good to me and so good to my daughter. Sometimes I pinched myself because it didn’t feel real. How did I get this drop-dead gorgeous man to accept me with all my baggage, to love me unconditionally, to love someone as their own when she wasn’t his?

I still hadn’t gotten an answer.

When the movie was over, we walked out of the theater.

“Did you like it?” Lizzie asked.

“It was okay.” Derek threw the leftover popcorn in the trash. “Did you like it?”

“Yeah. I like those whodunit things. And I knew from a mile away it was the husband. It’s always the husband.” Lizzie spent more time talking to Derek than talking to me because I was old news, and he was the interesting and sophisticated one.

I would be jealous, but I was too happy to be jealous. “You guys want to get something to eat?”

Derek immediately cringed.

Lizzie rubbed her stomach and shook her head. “Yuck, no.”

I rolled my eyes. “I told you not to eat so much popcorn.”

“Well, it’s delicious, so what am I supposed to do?” Lizzie fired back.

“How about have some self-control?” I countered.

“Derek ate as much as I did.” She walked beside Derek as we headed to the sidewalk.

“Because he’s a grown-up who can do whatever he wants.” We hardly got to hold hands when we were together because she was between Derek and me, right smack in the middle because she loved to converse with both of us.

“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t wait until I’m