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“Oh, stop,” I laugh, pulling her in for the millionth time. “You did right the second I was born. Dad would be proud of how you’re handling all of this without him.”
I hear her soft exhale at my ear and she holds me a little tighter before finally pulling back, only when she does, I see the tears welling in her eyes. “Don’t make me cry,” she tells me. “Today is already going to be hard enough without you dropping bombs like that.”
“Sorry,” I grumble. “I think I got carried away in the moment.”
“That’s for sure,” she murmurs, getting up and checking her reflection in the mirror. She runs her hands down her black dress, straightening it out the exact same way that I do. “Okay,” she says, turning back to me. “Now that’s settled, we should head in and find Colton.”
I nod and allow her to pull me up from the bed and twenty minutes later, we’re pulling up at the small church.
Colton takes my hand and helps me out of the car and I can’t help but go over the differences between the two funerals. I haven’t even stepped inside of the church yet and the contrasts are astounding.
This church is tiny and looks as though it could fit a maximum of thirty people inside but there’s something about it so much more personal than Charles’ church. This is perfect for her, it’s exactly what she would have wanted.
Mom steps into my side and the three of us walk towards the entrance. It’s beautiful. It’s been done up with breathtaking floral arrangements that have me looking up at Colton as there’s simply no way Maryne’s family would have been able to afford this. “Did you pay for Maryne’s funeral?”
He nods ever so slightly. “It’s the least I could do.”
My heart swells. I don’t know how he does it but every single day I discover something new about him that makes me unbelievably attached. “If you’re not careful, you’re going to make me fall for you, Colton Carrington.”
His thumb rubs back and forth over the top of my hand. “Right back at you, Jade.”
I have to tear my gaze away and stop myself from swooning as we step through the entrance of the church, but even had I not looked away, it wouldn’t have mattered because the second we get inside and see the marble casket at the front of the church, heaviness settles into my heart.
Harrison stands at Maryne’s side, one hand resting over the casket and complete agony on his face as Maryne’s family slowly begins to trickle in. “Did you know they were together?” I ask Colton, keeping my voice low so no one assumes that I’m here to gossip.
He nods. “They were together for years.”
I gape up at him before looking back at Harrison as all the pieces of the puzzle finally come together. “How could I not know that?”
“They kept it strictly professional,” he tells me. “He asked Dad for an advance on his pay just last month. I think he was planning a proposal.”
My soul shatters and my steps begin to slow. How could I have not known that about the people I spend every single day with? Am I that shallow?
Colton’s arm falls over my shoulder and he pulls me along. “Come on,” he tells me, pressing a kiss to my temple and leading me toward the front of the church. “Maryne wouldn’t want you falling apart like this.”
I let out a shaky breath. He’s right. I can fall apart in private when I get home, as for now, I need to be strong for Maryne’s family and friends who are no doubt feeling it a lot harder than I am.
With that understanding, I meet Harrison up front and give him a warm hug as I prepare to say goodbye to the woman who was so much more than just a colleague.
Chapter 23
I slam my way through the door of Kairo’s apartment. “WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?” I yell, marching my ass toward his bedroom and listening to the panicked scuffles coming from within. “I SWEAR TO GOD, KAIRO. IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER GIRL IN THERE I’M GOING TO BREAK SOME MOTHERFUCKING FACES.”
“Fuck, babe. Get up, get up, get up,” Kai rushes out on the other side of his door, no doubt shaking the girl who sleeps beside him, desperately trying to get her up and out of his bed. “She can’t find you in here. She’ll fucking kill you.”
My fingers curl around the door handle and finding it locked, I slam my fists against the wood over and over again. “WHY THE HELL IS THIS DOOR LOCKED? WHO IS SHE?”
Kai’s voice calls out. “Babe, you’ve got it all wrong. There’s no one here.”
There’s a panicked feminine wail coming from within the room and I slam my hand on the door again. “KAIRO, OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR RIGHT THIS GODDAMN MINUTE.”
