None of us say anything for a block or so.
“You fix his nose?” I ask Graham.
“Enough. He’ll still think of you every time he looks in the mirror.”
“Good.”
Theo looks at me.
Back to Graham.
Then back to me.
“You two do this before?” he asks.
“You sure you want to know the answer to that?”
He stares at me a beat longer, and then he cracks a grin. “Does Emma know how many Razzle Dazzle lines you still use in your daily life?”
Fuck me.
He’s right.
I’ve said that one in nearly every Razzle Dazzle movie I’ve ever been in.
Usually when my leading lady co-star would askwho hurt youorwhat happened at fill-in-the-blank-based-on-the-movie-scenarioorwhy do you think you could never love again?
But I hold his gaze and spend one last long moment of my life playing a role I never want to have again.
And I end it with a line that’snotin any Razzle Dazzle movies but could be.
“Does she know how manyyouknow?”
“Would you two shut up and hand me a Snickers?” Graham mutters.
I do as the man asks.
And then Theo and I fall into another silence on our way back to his house.
My fury with Chandler Sullivan fades, and my appreciation for Emma’s brother grows.
And when we get back to his house and Emma meets me in the front yard with the tightest hug I’ve ever had and Bash comes flying out of the house too, yelling, “Dat my daddy!” there’s nothing left but relief and joy and love.
“Are you okay?” Emma whispers.
“Never better,” I reply. “And he willneverhurt you again.”
Full truth.
No regrets.
This is the best life I could have, right here with Emma and our son.
44
Emma
For what feelslike the millionth time in the past week, Jonas is once again studying me closely and saying, “Are you sure about this?”
