AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You don’t have to decide tonight. Sleep on it, and make a decision when you have a clear head.”
I beam up at her, feeling a whole lot better. “Thanks, Mom.”
After my mother leaves, I know without a doubt Brady is the only man I ever want to be with. It dawns on me that we never actually talked about losing our baby. Maybe I never gave him a chance to talk. Every decision I made after losing Mona has been wrong. I abandoned Brady emotionally long before I moved to Minnesota. Of course he signed the papers and buried himself in his career. It’s what he always does when he’s hurting. His need to mask his pain started early on in childhood and escalated to serious abuse in adulthood. Women and sex became an easy escape. I admit music is a healthier way to mask his feelings about my leaving, but it doesn’t ease my guilt. After classes are over tomorrow, I’m going to call him.
It’s time we talk about our baby girl. He also needs to explain how far things went with Annabelle.
The next morning, I wake with a sense of excitement. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I actually deserve to be happy.
If I didn’t have classes, I’d call Brady right now.
I make my way into the kitchen. My mom is sitting at the breakfast nook, sipping tea, her hair pulled in a tight ponytail as she reads the paper.
I practically skip into the kitchen. “Morning.” I’m so happy it sounds like I’m singing.
My mom looks up from the paper. “Judging from your cheerfulness, you’ve decided.”
I nod with a smile. “I’m going to call him.”
She returns my smile. “I’m glad. It’s been breaking my heart to see you so miserable.”
If I were my parents, I would have kicked me out the first week. I’ve been unbearable. “I’m sorry.”
“No, honey. Don’t be sorry. You know, no matter how old you get, I’ll still worry about you.”
I understand. “I know you will, and I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” she says returning her eyes to her paper. “Oh, wait. Would you be a dear and bring me the paper?” She must really be losing it.
“Uh, Mom, you’re reading the paper.”
“Yes, I know that,” she snorts. “I’m not that old, for God’s sake. This is the USA Today. Your father didn’t bring in the Journal.”
“Oh, okay.” When I open the door, I swear I feel the earth shift. The second my gaze lands on his pools of endless green, my world once again revolves around him. He flashes a beautiful smile. One I haven’t seen in so long, it causes my heart to sputter.
I’m deeply in love with him, and in this exact moment, I have no idea why I left him.
The lump in my throat is so large it feels like I’m choking on a giant jawbreaker. Even if I could manage to speak, I have no idea what to say to him.
I suddenly don’t care about anything in our painful past.
“Oh, God, Brady! I’m sorry!” My arms are immediately around his neck as I wail uncontrollably. He holds me a few inches off the ground, holding on to me so tight, I can barely breathe, but I don’t care. I don’t want him to let me go.
I want him to stay right here with me in his arms because it is here that I realize exactly how perfect he is for me. There’s no one else in this vast world who can help me overcome my pain. He completes me.
“Shhh…” His smooth lips brush against my ear before his nose skims my cheek. God, I’ve missed him.
He leans back long enough to align our mouths. His tongue traces the seam of my lips. I open my mouth, welcoming the kiss I know is coming. My body sizzles as heat fills me from the inside out. The anticipation is almost too much to bear. I don’t have to wait long before his tongue darts into my mouth. He kisses me like it’s the last kiss he’ll ever have, our tongues battling in our mouths to see which one of us missed the other the most.
“Uh, umm.”
Oh, shit! Mom.
Brady pulls back and wipes his lips with the back of his hand. A dusting of color sweeps over his cheeks. Desire or embarrassment, I’m not exactly sure, but judging by my mother’s near cackle, she thinks the situation is humorous.
Her gaze meets Brady’s. “I told you it wouldn’t take long.”
Brady flashes a guilty grin at me. Wait! I narrow my eyes at my mother, who I’m sure has been in cahoots with my…my…damn! I’m not sure what he is officially, but I am positive he’s the love of my life, and he and my sneaky mother have just played me. “Dad didn’t forget to bring in the Journal, did he?”
