“You staying with me tonight?” I asked.
“Oh, my bad, is that okay?”
“Halo, be for real. Of course, it’s okay. I’m just shocked.”
“Well, don’t be. I need to rub you down again in the morning before you start your day. And that’s the only thing I’m rubbing tonight, okay?”
“Baby girl, I’m not complaining about that at all.” I kissed her forehead, and she curled up against my side. “I’m just glad you're here.”
“Can I ask you something?” I said quietly.
“Yeah.”
“What’s the story with the bracelet? Your whole aura changed when you got it back.”
“I don’t know if I like how observant you can be,” she grinned. “But it was my mother’s bracelet.”
“We leaving it at that? If we're not there yet, it’s cool, Lo.” I waited, letting her decide if she wanted to say more. I wanted her to feel comfortable with me the way I felt with her.
“She died in a house fire when I was sixteen,” she said finally. “Electrical fire that started in the walls. My dad and I weren’t home that night; he was on duty, and I was staying with Tessa.” Her voice got quiet. “By the time the call came in, by the time they got there... it was too far gone.”
My arms tightened around her. “Halo...”
“My dad was the fire captain back in Coupeville. Had been for years. He’d saved hundreds of people. But he couldn’t save her.” She touched the bracelet, fingers tracing the links. “That’s what changed him. Not just losing her, but not being there. Not being able to do for her what he’d done for so many strangers.”
“Damn, baby.”
“He gave me this bracelet a few months after she died. Said she’d want me to have it.” She was quiet for a second. “I decided that day I’d be the onewho shows up and keep showing up. I never take it off. So, losing it was tough for me.”
I pulled her closer and pressed my lips to her forehead. “She’d be so damn proud of you, Angel. You know that?”
Her voice was small. “I hope so.”
“I know so. You’ve spent eight years honoring her memory. Running into fires to save people. That’s real love, Lo.”
We both sat quietly for a while.
“Get some sleep, Vinny.”
I grinned and did as I was told. I wrapped my arm around her and closed my eyes. The pain was still there, but it didn't feel as heavy now. And having her next to me, trusting me with the vulnerable parts of herself again, meant something to me. I felt like I’d hit the game-winning shot. Not only was she here in my home, she was taking care of me, and I would also be able to sleep with her thick ass body against mine.
I understood why she’d shown up at two in the morning. “Showing up” wasn't just words to her. She'd spent eight years making sure nobody else felt what she felt the night her mama died.
Sleep came easier than it had in ages. I hoped she was all in because letting her go wasn't something I could see myself doing.
Iwoke up before him.
The sun was just starting to rise when I stirred. I glanced back at a still sleeping DaVinci. One arm draped across my waist, we’d slept like this for most of the night. His breathing deep and steady. I couldn’t believe I brought my ass over here last night. I was acting purely on instinct. And that scared the hell out of me because he moved me.
A man moved me.
I carefully slid out from under his arm and padded downstairs in one of his T-shirts and my leggings from last night. Brixxi followed me, her little nails clicking on the tile. Her vibe told me a lot. She liked DaVinci and obviously wanted her momma to get back out there.
“B, look at this kitchen.”
His kitchen was massive and immaculate; I didn’t expect anything less. I opened the fridge and smiled because it was stocked with everything. I grabbed eggs, bacon, fruit, and the rest of what I’d need to make a breakfast fit for a king.
I got to work until it dawned on me to make him my red velvet waffles. I was always proud of them, and they were a crowd-pleaser. I wanted him to try them. It was now me trying to impress him.
