Page 168 of Pink

“We told you, Arely,” Nessa said. “See, we weren’t lying.”

Arely sniffled. “I know but—”

“No buts,” he told his girl, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “Daddy’s home, right?”

She nodded fiercely. “Right.”

Nessa broke away from Gigi’s side with a grin before she came close enough for Lev to grab her by the arm. Pulling the girl who had always been like the little sister he never asked for into a one-armed hug, Nessa’s laughter filled the yard.

“Thank you,” he told her. “For putting shit on hold … looking out for her … everything.”

Nessa smiled, whispering, “Of course, Lev.”

Only one left, he thought.

As if Nessa could read his mind, or maybe she had just noticed where his stare traveled over her shoulder, she reached for Arely. Helping to pull the girl from his grasp, without too much fight, thankfully, she had the situation handled and stepped aside with his daughter. With a coat in hand for Arely, she managed to wrangle the girl into the jacket to help with the cold.

Lev finally had his hands free. And a full view of a very nervous Gigi.

Wringing her hands together, Gigi shifted from foot to foot when their gazes met, and he took one step forward. Then another. And another.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t talk when you called,” she said. “I just didn’t know what to say. It feels like all I’ve done is talk, but not to the person I wanted to, you know? And—”

“Gigi.”

Her rambling came to a stop all at once. In the next breath, Lev was in front of her, close enough that his chest molded against hers, and his hands were able to slip under her jaw to hold tight. He didn’t care about who watched. He didn’t give a shit if the neighborhood was recording them.

“I love you,” he told her.

Gigi trembling lips stretched wide with a beautiful smile. “Yeah?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”

She answered that with a shake of her head before she pushed up to her tiptoes, those grinning lips of hers finding his with a slow, soft kiss that told him everything was going to be okay. It might take time but that was fine, too. They had so much to figure out. So many things to talk about.

But that kiss, the languid sweeps of his lips against hers that coaxed her mouth open for him, felt like a restart. A single second in time where the two of them could just be. Nothing else had to matter.

“I love you, too,” she whispered against his lips as her fingertips grazed his cheekbone. “Before … after. Forever.”

That was all he wanted.

This woman.

His child.

The life they could have together.

Now, everything was right. His world was perfect again. What more could he ask for?

They could figure out the rest later.