“Can you– can you tell her I love her?” He’s lost his gusto, and in its place is just a Da who can’t stand his daughter being upset with him.
“Tell her yourself. You have her number, and you knowwhere she lives, seeing as you helped me put the floors in.”
“Yeah, okay.” He sighs while disconnecting the call.
My hands are itching to get upstairs and check on her, so that’s exactly what I do. And when I find her asleep on the couch in the upstairs den with some love movie on, I kiss her temple and make sure she’s good and covered up. Since she’s asleep, I guess I better finalize my plans for Matteo and Leo.
* * *
It’s later in the afternoon, and I have Lee sitting on top of the island while I work around her to cook dinner. She’s wearing leggings and my favorite hoodie while gently kicking her legs and watching me. The feel of her eyes on me as I make her dinner is by far one of my favorite things.
“You ready to talk about that yet?” She points to my bare chest, to her tattoo.
I busy myself moving around the kitchen until she reaches her legs out and pulls me into her with her legs wrapped around my waist.
“I was eighteen, sloshed out of my mind, and mourning. I drew it myself, every single detail the year before. I showed up to the parlor that my brothers use, and they turned me down for being intoxicated. I was so pissed, but one of the guys said if I could be back at eight the next morning, he’d do it. So I went in the next morning and he had me in his chair all day. He tried to break it up into multiple sessions, but I needed the pain. I needed something to prove that I didn’t just make you up in my head. Lilies were always your favorite flowers, and I had the letter ‘R’ drawn into the outline of the flower. You were with me, Lee. Every single day, and no onecould take that from me.”
Her eyes are filled with unshed tears by the time I’m done.
“I was always coming back to you, Quill. It’s what kept me alive while I was with them, the promise of us.”
My lips press to hers when there’s a knock at our front door. We pull apart, but not before I press one more kiss to her temple.
“Is that for you?” Lee asks me.
“Nope, it must be for you.” I smirk. Her Da is out there. I know because he texted me when he left his house to tell me he was coming.
She hops off the counter, playfully smacks my ass, and heads to the front door. I playfully grumble at her, “That’s my move, you aren’t supposed to steal it.”
Her laugh rings throughout the downstairs. She pulls the door open to see Lukas standing on the other side holding a bouquet of lilies in his hand.
“I’m so sorry, Kostbarkeit. I never meant to hurt your feelings. You are nothing but the exact piece our family needed to be complete.”
Lee steps into her father’s arms and wraps her arms around his middle instantly. I can hear her sniffling from here.
“Papa, I’m so sorry I haven’t called. I’m so sorry that I’ve brought all of this to your door. You didn’t ask for a sick child when you adopted me. It was already enough that you adopted a damaged one.”
He pulls her tight into his embrace, “No, shh. Don’t say that, my girl. You are perfect. If you took me back to that exact day ten years ago and told me what I know now? You still would have come home with Mama and I and we’d still be right here. I wouldn’t change a single hair on your head for all the moneyin the world.”
Deciding to let them have their moment, I stop eavesdropping and start setting the dining room table. I don’t have parents anymore, but she does. I’d kill for another moment with my Ma and Da, so instead of looming over them to make sure he doesn’t fuck this up, I try to tune them out and busy myself. They deserve this moment to be just the two of them.
29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lee
My Papa coming over and talking to me meant more than he could ever know. He had dinner with us and we caught him up on everything we’ve been doing. Which admittedly isn’t much, but he still listened intently as Mac told him about the car he found and has been working on. He’s so animated when he talks about it, he seems to really enjoy taking seemingly broken things and putting them back together again. Ironic, all things considered. Papa left last night with the promise of a breakfast date in a couple of days when it’s Sunday.
I’m pulled out of my thoughts as Tory hooks up my fistula. I woke up today extremely tired, and my hands feel tight. It’s probably nothing, though, so I didn’t say anything to Mac when he left to go meet up with Davis. He promised to be back in an hour or two and told me he loves me beforeleaving. I’m in the upstairs den lounging on the couch with my laptop open. I hear the machine start up as I’m typing away on the computer. Mac’s let himself get a little lazy the past couple of weeks, so I’ve started going behind his projects and hacking him just because I can. Well, that and he punishes me so deliciously for it. The other night after he caught me unraveling his hard work, he edged me for hours until I was a begging mess. I never thought I’d be into things like that, but with him I’m into anything he throws my way.
It hasn’t been long when the nausea hits. Just as soon as I grab the trash can beside me, I’m losing my breakfast. Hearing the door open downstairs, I sag in relief knowing it’s Mac. Only it isn’t Mac who comes into view. It’s Theo Rossi. My breath catches and panic laces my veins. He looks so different than he did back when he was my dad. His hair is silver, his eyes look haunted and frankly bloodshot. He looks like he’s aged fifteen years since I saw him at the wedding just five or so months ago.
Grabbing my phone discreetly, I swipe the first name on my call list and set it face down.
“Theo, what are you doing here?” I ask with the trash can still under my chin.
“Principessa.” He says on an exhale. “I’m so sorry. I told them I’d leave you with them as long as they take care of you, but I can see now that was a mistake.”
