“I wasn’t trying to betray you by staying in touch with him,” she says. “I just didn’t want him to think we vanished like he meant nothing.”
My anger and hurt softens, only to be replaced by something more painful. Fear.
He’s in our lives—my life—whether I want it or not.
And God, Idowant it.
I’ve wanted it since the moment I met him. Since that first kiss. Since he killed the man threatening our daughter’s life. Since we drove away from the safe house with only Paige’s safety in sight.
I want him so badly it hurts every bone in my body. I’ve fought, and fought, and fought, yet I still feel as strongly for him now as I did eighteen months ago.
We hold each other, weeping quietly and a shadow appears at the door. I lift my gaze to my mother.
“Did you know?”
She nods but doesn’t say anything.
My mom, Mallorie, Paige… They all knew. They’ve just been waiting for me.
I unclasp my daughter’s arms and wipe my snotty nose on my sleeve.
“Ah, Mom, don’t do that,” Paige scolds, gently. How did she suddenly get so mature?
Planting my hands on my hips I glare at them both in turn. “Okay, so how does this work?”
Paige’s eyes widen. “You’re okay with this?”
I swallow. “I don’t know. Let’s say I am. What happens next?”
Paige pulls out her phone and starts typing. “Well, I send him a text and let him know you said it was okay.”
I’m stunned. “Youtexthim?”
Paige lifts a shoulder without looking up. “Yeah.”
As these facts sink in, my stomach takes flight, making me feel lightheaded. I sink into the chair opposite her.
I glance up at Mom. “Will he even come?” The last thing I want is for Paige to be disappointed.
Paige drops the phone into a pile of glitter. “He’s already said he would, as long as you were okay with it. He said—” She hesitates, flicks her gaze to Mom and back to me. “He said if you were okay seeing him, he’d go anywhere, anytime.”
My heart skips several beats. That’s one of the most romantic things I’ve ever heard.
Paige’s phone lights up, making us both snap our focus to it. Before Paige can snatch it up, I notice the name: Augie.
“You—you call him Augie?”
“He told me to,” Paige says, the very picture of nonchalance. “Yep, he says he can’t wait.”
A light sweat breaks out across my forehead. “Have you met with him? In person?”
“No,” she says with a note of sadness. “He said he didn’t think that would be right, not without you knowing.”
“Oh, but texting my daughter behind my back is fine.”
Mom steps into the room. “It wasn’t like that, Erin. Paige said she wanted to see how he was. They communicated through me initially.”
“Throughyou?”
