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“Tempest,” he goes again. “What the fuck is it? What the —”
I look up, a smile blooming on my face before I can even think. “I think it’s… I think it’s them. They’re kicking. They’re… Whoops.” I chuckle, clutching my belly. “There’s another one. And oh my God, it actually feels like a kick. I mean, they’re only eighteen weeks and…”
His eyes are wide and pinned to my belly.
And he’s breathing slowly, as if he doesn’t want to spook them. As if he doesn’t want them to stop kicking and go away. And before I know what I’m doing, I’m halfway to him so he can put his hand there too and feel them.
He’s been waiting and waiting for it, right?
And look, he was right.
He knew they’d kick before the usual time and they did and he should definitely feel that.
But just as I’m about to reach within touching distance of him, the same cop who brought me here appears at my side.
“Time to wrap it up,” he says and I remember where we are.
I remember that he’s behind bars and I came here to say goodbye.
And didn’t I just say that I don’t want him anywhere near me?
So I should leave him. Right now.
But still I hesitate.
They’re his babies. He loves them. Shouldn’t he feel what I’m feeling? Just for a second and…
“You should leave,” he says, his tone neutral, a muscle beating on his cheek.
But I can see a thousand emotions in his eyes. I can see him swallow, his chest shuddering with his choppy breaths.
And I know that he doesn’t want me to.
But I do.
I leave because he’s right.
I should leave.
Even though it’s painful to feel this kind of joy without him. To feel them roll around and kick and not share that with the one person who can understand the depth of my joy.
It’s for the best though.
As I turn around and leave, I want to call myself an idiot.
For loving him.
For never stopping loving him.
But I won’t. Because even though I haven’t yet learned how to not love him, I’ve at least learned enough not to abuse myself for it. I’ve at least learned enough to know that I’m brave.
Which means I’ll survive this.
I’ll survive without him.
I will.
Chapter Forty
Her Beautiful Thorn
“I don’t want you in there,” I tell Reed as soon as he stops his car in front of his big-ass mansion.
I’ve only been here once.
The night I caught her stalking me behind the bushes. And I’m not going to lie, I didn’t like the look of it. I didn’t like the differences between us. How she lived in a palace while the paint was peeling off the walls of my bedroom.
“Too bad,” Reed says from beside me.
“You —”
“She’s my sister,” he snaps, his fingers tight on the steering wheel.
“She’s my wife,” I snap back, in the process of unbuckling my seat belt.
But then I stop.
Because she’s not.
Or at least, not for long.
Two days ago, she asked me for a divorce. She told me that she was leaving and none of that was unexpected. I knew when she found out what I did, she’d leave. And she’d take my babies away.
By some miracle, she hasn’t.
She won’t.
And I don’t know how to feel about that. I don’t know if I deserve that mercy.
After everything.
“Are we doing this or not?” Reed snaps impatiently, breaking into my thoughts.
“Yeah, we are,” I say just as impatient.
Because as I said, it’s been two days and that shitstain – their father – is still breathing. From what I hear, the fucker only got a few broken ribs, a neck brace and a bent nose. So now it’s time to finish the job.
It’s time to put him into the ground.
I would’ve been here sooner. But he pressed charges, and since he has every judge and cop in his pocket in this town, it was difficult to make bail. No judge was willing to hear the case until Con found an old lawyer friend of his who brought the case in front of quite possibly the only judge who has a beef with Jackson. He heard the case, set the bail and here I am.
I have to say though that even after things have started to smooth out between us, I wasn’t expecting Conrad to come to my rescue. Not with the bail and definitely not with the team. But he did. He talked to the board, took my back and explained to them why I did what I did.
While they aren’t happy, they’re still letting me stay on.
Given Conrad vouched for me.
I’m not sure how I’d ever repay him for this but I know that I won’t let him down.
Anyway, the charges are still alive and kicking but that’s going to change tonight.
A lot of things are going to change tonight.
We both climb out of Reed’s white Mustang and stride over to the front door.
