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I covered my face.

“Lord, I just need some help. Please.”

My voice broke on the last word. I lowered my hands and stared at the ceiling again.

“I don’t need to be rich. I don’t need everything handed to me. I just need enough to get us through until I can get back on my feet. Just enough to stop feeling like I’m one bill away from losing my damn mind.”

A weak laugh escaped me before the room went quiet again.

For a moment, I thought about reaching out to Yonas, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Henrietta would help too, without hesitation. But she had already opened the house to us, made sure we had everything we needed when we moved in, and done more for my family than I could ever repay.

My attention shifted toward the empty side of the bed.

“Caspian, if you were here, I know you wouldn’t let me worry about none of this.”

A sad smile touched my lips.

“You probably would’ve cussed me out for even stressing.”

Another tear slipped down my cheek.

“I miss having you here to tell me everything’s going to be okay… somebody who meant it because I knew they were going to make damn sure it was.”

That one hurt more than I expected.

I pulled the comforter higher around myself and closed my eyes.

“God, please. Just help me figure this out.”

That night, I let myself believe that maybe, somehow, everything really was going to be okay.

Chapter eighteen

Caspian

Ihated seeing my woman cry… always had.

But watching Lakelyn lie in my bed, worrying herself sick over money when I had more than enough to take care of her and everybody else under my roof? That shit was eating me alive.

She had finally fallen asleep, but I could still see the dried tears on her cheeks. The way her breathing had hitched even after she'd stopped crying. The exhaustion written all over her face.

I sat beside her on the edge of the mattress, wishing I could've done more than make her feel my presence while she prayed. I'd pressed down on the bed just enough for her to notice. Let her catch the scent of my cologne. Brushed my hand against her back so she’d know somebody was listening. But that wasn't enough… not when she was carrying so much weight on her shoulders.

Lakelyn was right about one thing, though. If I were still alive, she wouldn’t have to worry about none of this shit. Hell, if it were up to me, she wouldn’t have been working when we were together.

I had told her that plenty of times.

Move into my house.

Let me take care of you.

Work if you want to, but don’t ever feel like you have to.

Lakelyn wasn’t trying to hear none of that.

That girl was independent as hell. She could’ve had fifty thousand dollars in her account and still be somewhere trying to figure out how to make another fifty. I used to get on her ass about working too much. She used to tell me to mind my mothafuckin’ business.

I smiled at the memory.