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“Pizza? It’s Friday. I did tell—”
“Ahh yeah, Pizza Friday, how could I forget?” I interrupt him as Addison tucks her head into my neck and laughs. “How about we change it up a little and go out for pizza?” Both the boys jump up and down with excitement, and I wait for them to rush off and get their sneakers on before I grab Addison’s face and kiss her real hard.
“What was that for?” She smiles at me when I’m done.
“It was a thank you. And there's plenty more of them to come.”
She grabs my face between her hands and squeezes my cheeks together tight as she kisses me back.
“And that was a thank you back. You did save me, after all.”
“Nah, darlin’, you’re the one who did all the savin’.” I stand up with her still in my arms, making her squeal as I carry her into the kitchen. After I place her on the kitchen table she stares at me confused when I pick up her Converse and start sliding them on her feet.
“What are you doing?” she laughs at me.
“I’m putting on ya shoes for ya. Pretty soon you're gonna be askin’ me to do it for ya anyway.” I balance the sole of her foot against my thigh so I can lace them up.
“Not for a while, hopefully.” She rests back on her palms and switches feet for me.
“Well, we’ll just start as we mean to go on. Accept that I like takin’ care of ya and be done with it.” He grabs the loops in my jeans and drags me to the edge of the table by them.
“Ain’t a thing you can do about it anyway,” I warn, my lips hovering close to hers.
“Come on, I’m starving.” Charlie interrupts us, leading Dylan back into the room all ready to leave. “Yuck, were you guys gonna bone?”
I freeze when I hear what he just said.
“Where the hell did ya hear that?” Both of us turn our heads toward him in shock.
“Uncle Squealer, he told me it’s all pregnant women want to do and that it starts with kissin’.” He smiles back at us innocently.
Thankfully Addison sees the humor in it, but I’m still gonna kill that bastard.
“Charlie, there are some rules around here that you really need to learn. The first and most important of them is…” I guide us all out the door and grab the car keys. “…never… EVER… listen to Squealer.”
I forget the rest of the rules as I watch them all get in the car. I’m too busy taking a moment to appreciate how lucky I am. There was a time in my life that I never thought I’d smile again when I was riddled with anger and weak from pain. I was a broken soul. Now, I’m proof that nothing that’s broken can’t be fixed. All it takes is special people around you and a little bit of faith.
“Come on, what you waiting for? I’m hungry!” Addison calls out to me from the car with a huge smile on her face, and I don’t keep her waiting any longer. I round the hood and get behind the wheel.
“What do you think about Nutter Butters on a pizza?” She rolls her head against the headrest to look at me.
“I think it sounds perfect.” I lean over to kiss her before I check the boys are strapped in and start the engine.
“Whose smart-assed idea was this?” I stare at the scrawny girl who’s sitting on the edge of the camp bed in front of me.
“Actually, it was mine,” Brax speaks up, a little more sheepishly than usual. “She had no place to go, and Gracie said she needed somethin’ familiar.” I grab him by his shirt and drag him outta Jessie’s basement room, giving Jessie a look that tells him to follow us.
“So, ya brought her down here?” I hiss at him through my teeth, seriously wondering if he’s lost the fuckin’ plot. The poor girl’s been through hell, she’s been imprisoned for years and this half-wit puts her in a dingy fuckin’ basement just like where she was kept.
“Well, actually it’s worked. She’s calm, she’s comfortable, and she ain’t in the fuckin’ nut house which is where the doctors threatened to put her after today’s episode.”
“He’s got a point,” Jessie speaks up from behind us. “I mean, it ain’t a long-term solution but itisa solution for now.”
“Holy shit.” I slide my hand over my face and take another look in the room where the poor girl is staring at the wall like she’s empty inside.
“We can take care of her for now. Gracie can do some research and find a doctor who specializes in this kinda thing. We can fix her, and introduce her back to civilization.” Brax sounds hopeful.
What I’m really hearing is Grace’s words through his voice. She’s spent a lotta time with Everleigh over the past few weeks.
