“What the ever-loving fuck are you talking about?”
“The way you are with Larissa.I saw it.I’m sure a lot of other people saw it.You were constantly watching her.Did you even realize that you hadn’t been with a woman since she started working for Smokey?”
Big Dick frowned.“I was.”
“You weren’t.You weren’t even interested in them.I have a feeling it was easier to be interested in the other women when you didn’t have to see Larissa every fucking day,” Carlos said.
“And you think you had a right to make ...that bet?”
“Look, I came up with an idea for you to get your head out of your ass.You’re a lot of things, but you’re not one to back down from a fight, and if you think about it, a bet is a fight.Just in a different form.”
“Do you have any idea what we’ve done?What that bet did?”
“Yeah, I know what it did, and for that I’m sorry.I was never going to see it through,” Carlos said.“I always intended to come home and tell you it was off.”
Big Dick ran his fingers through his hair.
“She’s ...fighting you.”
“I betrayed her trust.Larissa is a ...she has this idea of what she wants out of life, and I’m not it.”
“You’re wrong there.”
“She wanted to meet the right guy, fall in love, get married, have kids, and raise a family together, driving off into the sunset, with no drama.”
Carlos held out his hand.“She met a guy—you.She fell in love with you.So far, that isn’t wrong.”
“Yeah, only people saw videos of us together and she knows the truth.”
“So, fight for her.”
“I am fighting.”
“From where I’m standing, it seems to me you’re moaning like a little bitch because it is proving to be a lot harder than you wanted it to be.”
“Fuck you.”
“No, fuck you.You want Larissa, and you love her, and you want to repair the damage, then you fucking fight for her.I know this, because this is what I did for Raven.I fought for her, and you know what, I fight for her every single day.I’m in her corner.I’m her rock.I’m everything she needs, and it doesn’t matter what it takes.I am here for her.She can break down, and I am not going to run.She can argue with me, and I will be here.If you love Larissa, if you truly love her, then what I said will not scare you, and you will fight.It’s not about chocolates and flowers and jewelry.It’s about showing up.It’s about being there every chance you get.”
****
Larissa hated how tiredshe felt.Even though she was in her first trimester, she felt exhausted, and that wasn’t supposed to come for a little while.Although some books do suggest you could get tired, so perhaps she was just unlucky.
Ava and Harlow had told her she was doing too much.The truth was, she was trying to fill her mind in doing everything that would stop her thinking about George.She had even taken up knitting in an attempt to learn a new skill.In the past, she had knitted but rarely got past a scarf.Now, she was attempting a baby sweater, and so far, it was looking like the pattern.At least, she hoped it looked like the pattern.She was constantly following the knits and purls, until she got to the end of each section.She was enjoying the process, for the most part.
The very thought of knitting was exhausting tonight.She and Ava had agreed that they would need to find another employee.Ava had already put out the advertisement.The bakery was doing well enough and Smokey had agreed to get a third person.Harlow had said she didn’t want to come back to the bakery, as she loved working with Hailey.Larissa knew how much fun it was working at Hailey’s.Some nights, if the beauty parlor was still open, Larissa would go and pass the time by helping put product on the shelves.She always liked to be busy.
Arriving at home, she saw the lights were on, and she frowned, because her father wasn’t due back yet.She got to the front door, and she nearly screamed until she realized George was on the other side.Only, he shouldn’t be inside her house.
“Before you start freaking out, I have already spoken to your father and he is happy with my ...suggestion.”
She held her key in her hand.“Suggestion?”
“Come on in.You don’t want to freeze your tits off.Sorry, sorry, I mean ass off.”
She tensed up as he pressed a hand to her stomach.
“Sorry, little one.I will get my language in order when I am around you.”
