“Do you want to come with me, or stay here? Either is fine,” Drake says softly.
A part of me thinks Barb needs a moment alone with her son. After all, that’s why we’re here—so he can offer whatever support they need. That’s important to him, so it’s important to me.
“I’m good,” I say. “I’ll hang with Big Ed.”
Drake snort laughs, rolling his eyes. “Big Ed, huh? Lord, help us.” He follows his mother out of the room.
I sit back against the soft cushions and breathe a sigh of relief.Everything is going so well. Barb and Big Ed seem to like me well enough, and Big Ed looks relaxed and happy—and not only did he remember Drake, I think Drake is what brought him around. The way his face lit up when he saw him was incredible.
My heart aches as I watch Big Ed fiddle with the remote control. It’s easy to see what kind of man he once was. Hardworking, honest, capable.A lot like this son.
“That boy of mine …” He nods his head. “He’s a good one. But you probably know that.”
“I had an inkling that was the case.”
“My girls are my pride and joy,” he says. “But that Drake. He’s a one of a kind. Not a boy in the world who made his father more proud.”
A lump lodges in my throat, and a burning sensation bridges my nose. The sincerity in his words wraps around my heart. It’s clear to see why Drake is the way he is. His family is amazing.
“You must be one helluva girl to have him bring you home. He doesn’t do that. I was telling him the other day to pick a woman like his mom and not to settle for anything less—then you show up. That says a lot about you.”
I take a shaky breath. “Well, I hope that’s true. Barb seems like a wonderful person.”
“Wonderful?” He pfft’s me. “God broke the mold when he made that woman. She’s a damn saint. The best mother. Hell of a wife.” He sighs. “She’s my best friend, and as proud as I am that Drake’s my son, I’m even more proud that I’m her husband.”
Big Ed stretches back in his recliner, a sad, haunting look settling over his face. The lump grows as I watch him shift in front of me. His gaze turns to mine.
“Gianna?” He licks his lips. “I’m getting confused a lot lately. Even when I’m not, I don’t really feel like myself. Can I count on you to do me a favor?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
His eyes fill with unshed tears. “When my brain can’t think anymore, or I’m gone for good, will you please remind my wife how much I love her? And that I only spoke well of her when she wasn’t around? The only thing that I’m afraid of is that she’ll forget that.”
Tears slide down the apples of my cheeks.
Damn you, Big Ed.
Damn you.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
Gianna
“Hi, Claudia. Welcome toGianna Knows Things. What doyouneed to know?” I ask, pulling the microphone closer to me. “Let me remind you that I’m not answering any questions about Drake until the end of the show. Please don’t ask about him and make it weird.”
Because she will ask, and she will make it weird. They all will. And so far, they all have.
I woke up this morning to headlines that Drake was cheating on me with a model from Argentina. His face is plastered everywhere alongside a beautiful woman with a body capable of stopping traffic. He saw it before I was out of bed and called me to explain that he knew her once upon a time and hadn’t talked to her in years.Even if he had, he hasn’t spoken to her since he met me, so how is it any of my business?
Unfortunately, the world thinks it’s their business, and I can’t log on to Social without seeing post after post speculating on my emotional downfall. Fun times.
“Thanks for taking my call, Gianna. And for what it’s worth, I’m Team Gianna. Real girls stick together.”
I close my eyes.Lord help me.
“But what I need to know is who to trust,” Claudia says. “My friends or my heart?”
