AllFreeNovel
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I’ve heard the words hundreds of times from his lips, yet they still manage to take my breath away every single time.
I open my mouth to say the same, yet something holds me back.
Fear.
It’s not that I don’t love him, because I do. Maybe even more than ever before if that is possible.
It’s just that the last time I deliberately shared those three little words, he left. My love wasn’t enough before, so why would it be this time?
And after Cal left the last time, I’m scared to share that part of myself. At least not until I can fully trust him again.
IfI ever can.
“You want us to go to dinner with your family?” My fork slips from my hand, and the scrambled eggs splatter against the plate.
Cal rubs the back of his neck. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. It’s just that I haven’t seen Declan in a while, and Iris flew out all this way since my birthday is next week…”
Shit. His birthday!
I completely forgot about that. It’s been so long since I actually acknowledged the day.
“You’re having a birthday dinner here? At Dreamland? Why?”
“Because my family is nosy and insufferable.”
“So just the usual?”
He chuckles.
“I don’t know…” I hesitate, my gaze sliding over to Cami, who raises her fork in the air like an airplane before stabbing a piece of her pancake.
“I understand.” The skin surrounding his eyes tightens. “No worries. My family can be a bit overbearing, so I don’t blame you.”
“It’s not that.” I stumble over the words.
“Then what?”
Yeah, Alana, then what?
“Isn’t having dinner with the family kind of…serious?”
“Only if you want it to be. I’d love for you to come, but I understand if you don’t want to.”
He took your kid to Dreamland. The least you can do is go to a dinner for him.
I look over at Cami. “I can’t leave Cami alone.”
“Of course not. Everyone is excited to meet her.”
“They are?”
He pulls out his phone and shows me a group chat he shares with Zahra and Iris.
I stifle my laugh. “Bad and Boozie?”
He looks up at the ceiling as if he needs to pray for patience. “I didn’t come up with it.”
“God, I hope not.”
