Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
“How are you even married?” I ask, and he laughs.
“She never stood a chance,” he says. “But seriously, Justin, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m assuming if you are this in, then you are all in?”
“Yeah,” I say softly. “I’m all in.”
“I’ll see you next week,” he says. “Things just got pushed up.”
“There is a lot I haven’t told you,” I start to say. “Dylan’s dad”—I sigh—“um, he’s not really involved, and when he is, let’s just say it’s not good.” I wonder if by telling him this, I’m breaking her trust.
“What?” he whispers.
“I swear, Matthew, the kid is the best,” I say. “He is hands down the best kid I’ve ever met.”
“Then that’s all I need to know,” he says. “Get your woman ready for us.”
“There is not enough time in the year to get anyone ready for my family,” I say with a smile.
“We aren’t that bad,” he says, laughing. “See you next week.”
“Can’t wait,” I say, and I hang up the phone. After setting it on the counter, I sit down on one of the stools. I put my head in my hands, and I hear her voice in my head. My heart is in my throat when I think about the fact that she could have been there alone with Dylan.
“Hey.” I hear her soft voice next to me, and I look up at her. She’s wearing what she was wearing last night. She looks so beautiful I just want to hold her and protect her. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” I say and move to get up.
“If I have to be honest, then you have to be honest,” she says, and I turn around.
“Fine,” I say, putting my hands on my hips. “I was thinking about the fact that I could have lost you and Dylan.” The way my chest rises and falls, I have to put my hand to it and press down. “That just like that, you could have been hurt, and there was nothing that I could have done.”
“But I’m not,” she says, coming to me. “I’m fine.”
“He brought that danger to your front door, and he doesn’t even care,” I say, my voice getting louder. “He left his child to face those guys,” I say, running my hands through my hair. “Like who the fuck does that?”
“He’s a coward,” she says, looking down again, then looking up. “He’s always been a coward and inattentive.”
“You could have been so hurt. Dylan, fuck Dylan, who has this heart of fucking gold, he could have been …” My voice trembles.
“Justin,” she says, stepping closer to me.
My hands go to her face, and I kiss her with everything that I have. I kiss her, knowing it could have been the last time. I kiss her, promising her everything that I have to give. I kiss her as a vow to protect and treat her like she should be treated.
“Oh, God,” Dylan says, “you guys are always kissing. I’m starving.”
And just like that, we both laugh, but I don’t let her go. “I’m starting the pasta now.”
“Good,” he says, coming into the kitchen and climbing on the stool. “Mom, we made the sauce.”
“Did you?” Caroline says, and I let her go as I go into the kitchen and turn the water on.
“Yeah, but Justin had to call his mom, and she laughed at him.”
“Dylan, bro code,” I say, smiling, and he just looks at me.
“So what else did you do today?” she asks, sitting down on the stool next to him.
“Justin has a special place where he goes to work out,” Dylan tells her. “It’s down the hall.”
“It’s a gym,” Caroline tells him.
“No, it’s an apartment,” he says. “He keeps it for his family when they come visit.”
“Really,” she says, smiling at him. “Did you work out?”
“I did,” he says. “Feel, I pumped iron.” He puts his arm in a curl. “And he made me a protein shake.”
“Without protein,” I say. “It was basically a fruit smoothie.”
“Then we went to the grocery store,” Dylan says. “And he bought you all the milk.” I put my head back and groan.
“Not all the milk,” I say and then look at her. “I just didn’t know which you liked, so I bought you a couple of choices,” I say, and Dylan laughs.
“It fills the whole door,” he says, getting down and going over to open it. Her mouth drops open.
“What?” I shrug. “It’s just a little something.” Then I look at Dylan. “Remember what I said. You buy little things to make her happy and to let her know you think about her all the time.”
“Yeah, and then we bought flowers,” Dylan says. “Mine are bigger.”
“They are both beautiful,” Caroline says. “I’ve never gotten flowers.” She leans over and smells the roses.
“What do you mean?” I ask. She got married; she had a baby.