“Right now? I’ll leave right now.”
She sniffles. “Uh… is the morning okay?”
Disappointment sweeps over me, but I say, “Of course it is.”
“We’re already settled for bed, and I’m tired. I’ll be able to get my things together in the morning, that’s all.”
“I understand,” I say. “I get it, but I don’t like it.” There’s a soft laugh on the other side. “God, that’s a beautiful sound.”
“I miss you, Grizz. So much, and I’m so sorry about all of this.”
“You have no reason to be sorry. You were just protecting yourself and our baby. I will never be upset with you for that. I just miss you so fucking much.”
“I miss you too.”
We fall into silence then, and eventually we fall asleep. I wake up a couple hours later from my phone dinging with a low battery. The call is still on, soft snoring on the other side. I roll over to grab the charger and plug in my phone, but I don’t end the call. I leave it on the bed beside my pillow and fall back to sleep.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Anastacia
When I wake in the morning, the call is still going.
Eight hours and seventeen minutes.
I smile to myself, hugging my pillow a little tighter. He stayed on the phone with me all night. Dorothea slept all night. I feel good right now. Rested. Positive.
I don’t want to end the call, but the sooner I get my stuff packed, the sooner I can let him know to come get me.
Clanking echoes down the hall, telling me someone is up. Lucian probably, since he’s the one who does the cooking. I should tell him my plan before I start to pack anything. It’s the least I can do.
I get out of bed and use the bathroom before checking on Dorothea. She looks up at me when I stand over her travel crib, and she gives me the biggest, brightest smile.
“Good morning, sweet girl.” I lean down to pick her up. She makes the sweetest noises of excitement, kicking her little feet. “Let’s get you changed, then I’ll feed you.”
I change her diaper, her clothes, then sit in the rocker and nurse her. I left my phone in the bedroom, so it’s possible Grizz has called back already, but I’ll check shortly. She feeds quickly this morning, and when she’s all set, I take her with me into the kitchen.
“Morning,” Lucian says cheerily, standing over the stove with something in a pan.
“Good morning,” I return, then look down at Dorothea. “Can you say hello to Uncle Lucian?”
He chuckles, flips what looks like a pancake, then comes over to kiss her head.
“She’s getting so big.”
“You’re telling me.” I hoist her up a little more, then take a seat on the stool by the island and rest some of her weight on my thigh. “Can we talk about something?”
“Of course,” Lucian says, going back to the stove. “What’s on your mind?”
“Well, Grizz and I talked last night, and he’s going to—”
The doorbell rings, causing both of us to look that way. Lucian’s gaze comes back to me.
“I can guess what the rest of that sentence was going to be,” he says, amused, as he walks away.
“Good morning to you too,” Lucian says as Grizz rounds the corner. He searches for me frantically, and the moment his eyes are on me, he rushes over, taking my face between his hands. His lips are cold, but soft, and I missed them so damn much. I deepen it, sliding my tongue into his mouth and grabbing the back of his neck with my free hand.
He groans deeply, and I feel the need and want in this kiss. It’s not sexual, though I’m sure it could turn that way quickly. No,this is him missing me, showing me he loves me and wants me and needs me. This is so much more than just sex, and it’s been that way with us from the beginning.
