Page 121 of Ruin

It’s early. I barely slept a wink last night, and this time, I wasn’t awake with uncertainty over my decision to be with Zeus. Okay, there might have been a little bit of uncertainty, but mostly, there was smiling and heart flips every time I thought of last night with him. I must have run every single moment of the night over in my head about a hundred times.

Every word he’d spoken to me, every touch, every kiss. Every second of the way he’d made love to me. Like it was our first time.

God, I feel like a teenager again. Reminiscent of how I felt when we first started dating.

Only I’m older and wiser this time. Hence, the caution accompanying the fluttery, floating-on-a-cloud feelings.

I’m staring out the kitchen window, my hands wrapped around my coffee cup, when Aunt Elle wanders into the kitchen, still dressed in her pajamas.

“Hey, couldn’t sleep?” she comments at my being up early.

“No,” I say. But I smile, so she knows not to be concerned. There’s usually something wrong if I’m out of bed early.

“Gigi still in bed?” she asks, pouring a coffee.

“Yeah. I looked in on her before I came down, and she was still out for the count.”

Aunt Elle chuckles. “Like mother, like daughter.”

I flash a smile at her. “I’ll get her up soon.”

We need to start getting ready for the day. I have work, and Gigi has pre-K.

“So, how did things go with Zeus last night? You got back late.”

“Sorry.” My cheeks flush like a guilty teenager.

“Don’t apologize. You’re a grown woman.”

“And a mother.”

“I was here all night, Cam. It doesn’t matter what time you came home. I just want to make sure everything is okay with you.”

I can’t keep the smile off my face. I bring my cup to my lips, trying to cover it.

But she sees. And she grins. “So, from that smile, should I take it that everything is good between you and Zeus?”

I take a sip of coffee and hold the cup to my chest.

“He bought a house.” Pause. “For him…me, and Gigi.”

Her eyes widen. “Wow.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “He says he’s here to stay, and he wants me to know that. Also, he wants us to live with him.”

“Okay. And what did you say?”

I bite my lip.

Aunt Elle has never judged my choices, and she’s never made comments on any of the decisions I’ve made in my life, especially since Zeus has come back. But I still feel worried over what she might think of us getting back together. After everything that happened between Zeus and me, she was there with me at my lowest points. After he left, she saw how wrecked I was, and then she had to witness the devastation I went through when I believed he wanted nothing to do with our baby. I’m concerned that she’ll think I’m nuts to give him another chance and risk getting hurt again.

Although she did collude with him behind my back on the Disney World trip, so maybe she won’t be as opposed to the idea as I think she might be.

“I said no to living with him, of course. But I did say…” I pause again, biting the inside of my lip. Then, I blow out a breath and tell her, “I said I’d give him another chance. So, I guess we’re back together. But we’re taking it slow.” I’m quick to say, “And we’re not telling Gigi until I know for sure that I can trust him again and make it work.”

She doesn’t say anything. Just nods her head and takes a sip of her coffee. I can feel myself starting to crack.

“You think I’m crazy for giving him another chance, don’t you?”