It’s advice we could’ve used during our marriage as well. It’s always been this way between us. I would bottle everything up, dealing with shit as they happened, until finally I had enough and went off on him in private. We’d have a big argument, and then things would go back to semi-normal until my cup runneth over once more.
“I’ll talk to him,” I agree quietly. “I’ll see if he can meet me tomorrow evening when he gets off work.”
“I think that would be good,” she replies, relief evident in her voice.
“Are we okay?” I ask quietly, hating the fact that we argued today. She and I have never been confrontational with each other. Even when we were younger.
“Almost.” She lets out a breath. “I’m sorry for bringing things up in front of Talon’s family. It was rude, and I should have had better control,” she apologizes, clearly embarrassed.
“It’s fine, and they all agreed with you and wanted to go after you to make sure you were okay, but we knew you would be with Talon and he’d take care of you.”
“They had my back?”
“Oh yeah… well, I mean, Sophie and November gathered around me to make sure I was okay, even though I could tell they didn’t agree with me at all, but April, Nalia, and Willow were just as outraged as you were and nicely let me have it.” I take a deep breath. “I know it’s not my place, but I have to tell you that you better not mess up what you and Talon have, because I promise you will regret it. It’s not just that he’s such a good guy, and there aren’t very many out there anymore; it’s also that he has the family he does.”
“I’m not going to mess up what he and I have, and I know exactly how lucky I am that he decided to pursue me.” She smiles. “I’m just glad he was as determined as he was.”
“I’m happy for you.” I reach for her hand then pull her into a hug, relieved we’re finally past all the heavy. “I love you.”
“I love you too, and you should know that no matter what happens, I will always be here for you and the girls.”
“I know.” I give her a squeeze then let her go. “Now that we’ve talked, I’m going to bed, since I need to get up early.”
“What time do you have to get up?”
“I’m setting my alarm for 6:30. That way I can shower before I need to leave the house.”
“Just think, if Mike were dropping them off, you wouldn’t have to get up so early, and we could go out to breakfast, which we haven’t done in forever.”
“I know, I know, and like I said, I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” And I will.
“Night.” She laughs.
“Yeah, night,” I tell her, and make my way down the hall to the guest bedroom.
27
Winston
I’m officially obsessed. There’s no other word for the feelings I have inside me for Cece. It’s been a couple days since the incident at Talon’s, and I can’t sleep, I can barely eat, and all I can think about is her. Something inside me snapped when I found out her house was being destroyed while she sat right there in my own damn restaurant, and it makes me wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t come to dinner that night. Would she have been home when they broke in? Her sister was probably out with Talon, since they weren’t at dinner with Cece and her parents. What if her mom and Chaz had gone out to eat without her? She would’ve been home alone when they came barreling in. She could’ve been hurt—or worse.
So many what ifs have gone through my mind on repeat, and they’re always followed up with thoughts of how I need to be with her, how I need to protect her at all costs.
When I found her at Talon’s the other day, I was a madman. No other way to describe it. I wasn’t in my right mind, fresh off the discovery of what happened to her beautiful home, thinking about that being added to everything else she’s been going through. Hasn’t she been through enough? I just want to take care of her. I would give anything to take away all her burdens and… and… and spoil her, give her everything she’s ever wanted.
I would lavish her with my love for her, to the point she would never doubt how much I care about her, how she’d come first in my life, right up there with my son. And that would extend to her girls too. God, my heart aches for what could be. My boy and three little girls to fill my big, empty house with laughter and love. All I’ve ever wanted in life besides being a chef and own my own restaurant was to have a big, happy family. Being an only child, I’ve always wanted Nick to have a sibling, so he wouldn’t have to grow up feeling the loneliness I did a lot of the time. But there was no way in fuck I was going to have another one with Corina.