And we followed him, letting him lead the way. By the time we left the park, had froyo and headed back to their house, Melo was knocked out in the back. Remy took my hand, kissed the top gently and smiled over at me. No words were said because none were needed.
I followed them in to wash my hands while Remy went to place Melo in his bed. When he returned, I was already at the door with my keys in my hand.
Sadness crossed his face as he walked over and took my hand. "Do you have to go?" he asked. "I'm making pasta. Homemade."
Smiling, I took his other hand, closing the space and looking up at him. "Save me some."
He looked down and me and sighed, his forehead dropping gently to mine. "I don't want you to go," he said quietly.
"I can come back if you want?" I whispered. "It might be late though."
Squeezing my hand, he looked into my eyes but didn't respond. I could feel the weight of whatever he wanted to say weighing on him.
"Talk to me?" I encouraged him gently. "I can take it."
His head lifted to get a better look at me. Licking his lips, he exhaled slowly. "I'm falling in love with you, Gianna."
My heart and belly fluttered.
"Today—seeing you with my son. The way he responded to you. The way you two interacted with each other…you're the missing piece in our lives. Me and Melo need you."
The words settled between us, heavy and delicate at the same time. I didn’t speak right away. I just looked at him. This was real….and fragile. For all of us. My fingers tightened slightly around his hands, my thumbs brushing over his skin as I tried to steady the way my chest had started to rise and fall. “Remy…” I breathed. "Are you sure?"
He didn’t look away. His hands tightened around mine. “I know it’s fast,” he continued, his voice low but sure, “but I’m not confused about what I feel.”
My throat tightened.
“I'm not trying you scare you away,” he added quickly. “Or pressure you into something you're not ready for. I just—” he paused, searching my face, “I needed you to know where I am.”
I swallowed, my eyes dropping for a brief second before lifting back to his. I let out a small breath. “You’re not scaring me,” I said. “I feel it too."
His hands slid from mine to my waist, holding me there. “That’s all I needed to hear,” he murmured.
I nodded, my hands coming up to rest against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my palms. “But…” I added softly.
His brows pulled together slightly. “But?”
I held his gaze. “You don’t need me,” I said gently. “You and Melo…you’re already whole.”
He shook his head. “We are. But that doesn't mean we can’t want more.”
I smiled softly, my fingers curling slightly into his shirt. “I’m not trying to replace anything,” I continued. “I just…want to make sure we’re building something right. Not just fast.”
“We are,” he said firmly. “I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think we were.”
I leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, lingering there for a moment before pulling back. “I’ll come back,” I whispered. "We can talk then, okay?"
His forehead dropped against mine again, his eyes closing briefly as he exhaled. “Okay, baby.” he murmured.
I smiled, brushing my nose lightly against his before stepping back, slowly letting his hands fall away from my waist. “Call me before Melo goes to bed. I wanna say goodnight,” I added, lifting my keys slightly.
He smiled. “I will.”
We held each other’s gaze for one last second before I turned and opened the door, stepping out into the early evening air. My whole body felt warm and relaxed as I drove back to Siren House where the other side of my life awaited me.
Chapter 26
Isat at the head of the table, fingers tapping on the wood, leg kicked out, face set in stone while my team ran down the numbers to me. Shipments. Routes. Percentages. Product moving in and out. All routine shit that we discussed monthly. Shit I usually had locked in before we even started. But I wasn't present like I usually was.
