FIFTEEN
NOBODY’S PERFECT
A couple of weeks later…
“What are you doing here?” Giselle squinted at Heavy standing on her front porch, holding bags from several shops she was familiar with from the mall.
He’d asked for Harlee and Heir’s sizes and stored them in his memory so he could go pick out some things for them. Using the frame of the door to hold herself up, Giselle squinted at the sun. The bright light made her head hurt, and he frowned as she rubbed two fingers against her temple.
“Quit playing with me, princess.” He pushed past her inside, and she weakly closed the door.
Looking her over in the gray tights and white long-sleeved button up shirt, he noticed something off about her. She’d been cold with him for weeks, and he’d been trying to get back in good with her ever since the dinner at Petal’s. He hadn’t spoken to Viggo or Prischa, and not because they hadn’t reached out. Both had been texting and calling, but he didn’t have anything to sayto them. Since Pierre had his own phone, he was able to keep up with him that way.
Things with Henna were at a standstill. He had no problems with Toussaint; his father still showed up to work regularly, and they talked. He wasn’t even mad at his grandparents. They’d all made an effort to get to know Giselle and welcome her without judgment. His sister was the one who wanted to stay on the bullshit. Since she was as stubborn as he was, he didn’t expect to hear from her anytime soon.
“I texted you earlier and told you I was bringing some things by.” She stumbled past him to the living room where she’d set up shop on the couch because she couldn’t make it down the hall to her bedroom.
Her boss sent her home from work because she was pretty much useless since she could barely keep her eyes open. Grabbing the fleece blanket, she dropped onto the sofa and immediately covered her shivering body. Just getting up and moving to the door had her winded.
“But you knew I had to work.” She coughed and pulled the cover tighter around her.
“I also got your location and saw that you was home. What you lying for?”
“I didn’t lie,” she argued. “And why are you tracking my location?”
He sucked his teeth and dropped the bags on the table.
“Where the kids?” he asked, completely ignoring her question as if she didn’t know.
“With Crew and Maisie,” she muttered. “They’re on the way home now. For your information, I got sent home from work.”
“For what?”
Giselle was about to answer before she broke into a coughing fit.
“I wasn’t feeling well. It’s so cold in here.” She shivered under the blanket and wrapped herself tighter.
Frowning, Heavy stepped closer, his signature Dior Sauvage scent filling the space between them. He pressed his hand against her head, and her weary eyes burned into his. She’d missed him but refused to give him a chance to make things up to her. It didn’t stop him from showing up and spending time with the twins, though. If he wasn’t coming by, they would make sure Giselle called him to see why. Harlee was even demanding her own phone, so she could call him whenever she wanted.
“You got a fever.”
“And I never get sick,” she pouted.
“Aight. I’ll run to the drug store and grab some stuff and come back,” he suggested.
“You don’t have to. I can just send Maisie or Crew when they get here,” Giselle argued.
No sooner than the words left her lips, car doors slammed shut, and the two of them listened as voices drew closer to the front door. Heavy went to open up for them, and Crew and Maisie came in, toting a twin in each arm. Still coughing and trying to catch her breath, Giselle sat up and immediately saw that her children weren’t feeling well.
“I guess somebody brought a bug home,” Maisie surmised.
“Mommy, I don’t feel good.” Harlee pushed her little lips together, and Crew set her on the sofa beside her mother.
“Me too,” Heir grumbled before coughing and turning red.
“Oh, my babies,” she cooed, hugging them both close, even though she felt like death herself.
The two of them rested their heads against her chest and shut their eyes.
