Gemma wriggles, clearly uncomfortable.“No.You aren’t wrong.I might have to take you up on your offer.”
“Good.”
This is really fucking good.
“But you still haven’t told me about the changes you plan to make.I need to understand what my shares will look like...”Gemma trails off as I curse inwardly.
They aren’t going to look like much.
When she finally faces me, her eyes are thick with emotion.“I need to sell the penthouse.Zoe’s home.”
A tear slides down her cheek.
Fuck.
I try to stay as still as I can, reminding myself that Anthony is responsible for this.It’s not my mess to fix.
Suddenly, she lets out a strange sob-laugh.“Belinda thinks Anthony was involved with the mob.”
“I’m sorry, what now?”I blink, confused.
“He wasn’t.”She waves her hand.“But I’m missing a big chunk of money, and now I have to sell our home.”
It’s not missing.
I know exactly where it went.
“I’m sorry.”I brush my hand over her cheek and tuck some dark strands behind her ear.
She nods.
We sit quietly for a while, me trying not to pull her onto my lap and take away her pain.Trying not to confess everything and make her hate the man who fathered her child.
When she should.
But I know it will only hurt her.
“Why are you here?Tell me the truth.”
I came because there’s nowhere else I can be.
“Because you needed me,” I reply, hating the vulnerability it creates inside me.
Gemma wipes away a tear, reaches for my hand and squeezes.“You are a better man than you think, Drew Carrington.”
“I’m not, but I like knowing you think that.”I lift her hand and kiss her knuckles.
She sniffs, smiling at me again as if expecting me to turn into Prince Charming.I won’t.I never will.But I can carry her through this transition and protect her from all the toads out in the world until she’s strong enough.
Or maybe until I’m strong enough to let her go.
This time I do tug her onto my lap.She throws her arms around my neck and nestles in.
“Zander is having a dinner party tomorrow night.Will you be my date?”
Her lips slowly stretch into a smile.“A date?”
“A date.A real date.”
