Total pages in book: 178
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
What a wild credence that all I had been chasing had finally stopped running.
Epilogue
Lexi
I threw the door open and squealed happily when I saw them. The little redhead lunged at me, and when her body collided with mine, my breath left me with a whoosh. Struggling to breathe, I laughed through the discomfort as my unlikely best friend and I met for the first time.
“Lily,” the broody giant still waiting at the door with his offspring grumbled, “you’re choking the life out of her.”
But Lily just hugged me tighter. “I don’t care. I’ve got five months of hugs bursting out of me right now, and she’s going to get them or so help me.”
It all started a month after we arrived in the states. Twitch made a phone call to an old friend. That old friend was a man named Nox. During the phone call, Twitch explained to Nox that I was having a bit of a hard time dealing with the unfamiliarity of our living situation. At the end of the call, Twitch surprisingly handed me the phone, and the woman on the other line started talking.
I wasn’t expecting the hurricane that was Lily. And what a godsend she was.
One phone call was all it took and, just like that, we connected
Not a day went by that Lily and I didn’t speak. Whether via phone call or text, we were as familiar as two people living in different states could be. So when Lily called to say they were coming down to visit her sister, I was over the freaking moon.
To meet your unlikely soul mate was a special thing.
And now that she was here, I felt like I was already mourning the loss of her, for in a week, she’d be gone.
I held on tighter.
When she finally pulled back, I looked into her smiling eyes and stupidly said, “Hey.”
Lily tipped back her head and roared with laughter. I couldn’t help but join her. When the laughter started to hurt, I held onto my distended belly and groaned through my mirth. “Ow.”
“Aw.” Lily put her hands on my baby bump and gently rubbed it. “How is my little guy?”
I took in a deep breath and let out a slow exhale. “How would you feel having someone lug you around in your comfy water bed, never ending room service, sleeping all the time?”
“Pretty damn good.” Lily’s brows arched.
My smile widened as I peered down at my belly. “He’s great.”
From the door, Nox uttered an amused, “So, are we allowed in or what?”
My cheeks blazed. I rushed over and swept them in. “Oh my God, yes! Come in. Come in!”
As he passed me, Nox planted a kiss on my cheek. “How you doing, Lex?”
“Great, now that you guys are here,” I told him before looking at the handsome boy by his side. He had dark hair and blue eyes. “Oh, Lord. Is that Rocco?” I knew it was and turned to Lily. “He’s so tall. What are you feeding him?”
Rocco, who was ten going on eleven, looked embarrassed as his mother moved to stand behind him and explained, “It’s just those good Taylor genes, babe.”
The little princess holding Nox’s hand was something else in her tutu. It was a shock to see her wearing the tiniest pair of black combat boots I’d ever seen. She had Nox’s dark hair, but Lily’s green eyes. I smiled down at her. “Hello, sweetie. What’s your name?”
Of course I knew her name. I got pictures of these kids on the daily, but I felt it was important to include the children, let them know they had a voice in this house.
“I’m Angie. I’m four.” She held up four fingers and I loved her right then. She looked me dead in the eye and did not hesitate, when she stated, “You’re pretty.”
Oh, sweet Jesus.
I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and tugged her into me for a long hug. Angie returned my hug and I narrowed my eyes on Lily. “You set that up, didn’t you?”
Lily laughed. “I swear I didn’t!”
In Nox’s arms was a tiny girl with red cheeks, sucking her thumb in the sweetest little dress I had ever seen. She was the spitting image of Lily. Thick ginger hair and green eyes. She also looked like she did not want to leave the safety of her daddy’s arms, and looking at Nox, I could see why. He was a tank of a man.
Nox kissed the little angel’s head. “This is Mia.” He sighed. “She missed her nap and now we’re all paying for it.”
Lily rolled her eyes at her husband’s dramatics. “I give her ten minutes before she passes out.”
My expression sympathetic, I rubbed the little girl’s back, and spoke softly, “Maybe we can put on a movie for little Mia. We have pillows and blankets. My son A.J. can make you a fort. Does that sound good?” Mia thought about that before sucking her thumb into her mouth, moping dismally. Finally, she nodded, and I smiled widely at the tired angel. “Okay, sweetheart.”