Love Betrayal

Chapter Thirty-Two

River

Now that they have a baby, Romeo and Julianna get their own little place, but because they will still be at the clubhouse a lot, we also set up a nursery and babyproof the house for them. Bella and I surprise them with the fully stocked nursery, and we get Corey, who is amazing at painting, to do a mural on the wall. She paints an ocean theme, with a whale shark, octopus and manta ray. It looks fucking wonderful. Bella went out and bought wooden letters so we can put his name up on the wall.

Julian River.

What a strong name, and it means the world to me that they named him after me.

After three nights in the hospital, they come to the clubhouse and we surprise them with the nursery. Julianna cries, and Romeo gets all emotional, hugging me.

“It’s nicer than the one we have set up at our new place,” Julianna says, wiping her eyes. “Now we might as well just live here.”

“We wanted him to be comfortable when he is here,” Bella says, carrying Julian against her chest and gently rocking him.

“Corey, I had no idea you were so talented,” Romeo says to my sister, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her against him.

“Thank you.” She beams, looking over at her work. “I’m glad you like it.”

“We love it,” he replies.

Bella puts Julian in his new crib, and Julianna takes photos of him doing things like sleeping and breathing.

Jag comes into the room and nods for us to come out with him.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Rosalind is here. She said she wants to see her nephew. Jeremiah is with her out front,” he says quietly, glancing inside the nursery. “Can I go and see the baby?”

“Yeah, go ahead. Keep them inside while I deal with this,” Romeo says, and Jag goes in while Romeo and I head outside to see the woman who, only a few months ago, tried to have him killed.

“I can’t believe she came here,” he grits out. “I don’t want her to upset Julianna.”

“What are you going to do?” I ask as he opens the door and steps outside. “What is the game plan?”

“I have no fucking idea,” he replies, but we both walk up to her.

“Finally,” she says, rolling her eyes.

We tried to get her dad to marry her off, but he didn’t. Instead he promised that she wouldn’t try anything again, and if she did then we could handle it however we wanted. Cathy was sent away to a private home in the end, supervised by a trusted friend of the MC, so we won half the war. Unfortunately the half we lost is standing right in front of us. She’s been lying low these last few months, where I wish she would have stayed.

“You aren’t welcome here, Rosalind. Leave. And don’t come back, or you’re not going to like what happens to you,” Romeo says, narrowing his eyes. “Leave.”

“I’m here to see my sister and congratulate her on the baby,” she replies, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t want any problems—I just want to see my nephew.”

“You lost that right when you did what you did—”

“I wanted to kill you, not Julianna or the baby,” she fires back, cutting him off. “I’m not a threat to them. Just let my sister come out and see me.”

“Do you think she wants to see you?” he asks, voice getting louder. “She doesn’t. Now leave or I will personally be escorting you home.”

The door opens and Corey walks out. When she sees Rosalind, she storms right up to her, and does what we’ve all wanted to but haven’t because she’s a woman: she punches her in the face. An upgrade from her slap from last time.

Rosalind touches her jaw, wincing in pain.

“Get out of here, you stupid bitch. You are not ever welcome here. We are a family, and you are not part of it,” Corey says, getting right up close to her.

Rosalind steps back, her face full of fury, and gets back in her car and drives away.

That must have felt good for Corey, taking her power back after what Rosalind did to her. “You okay?” I ask, feeling proud.

“Never better,” she replies, turning around and walking back inside.

I share a look with Romeo, and then do the same.

That bitch isn’t messing with us and ours ever again.

When I get a moment alone with Julianna in the kitchen, I quietly ask her an important question. “Has Bella ever mentioned to you what kind of engagement ring she’d like? She hasn’t ever given me any hints and now I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking at. I know she wears gold, but what diamond shape do you think she’d like?”

“Oh my goodness,” she whisper-yells, and then does a happy dance. “I am so damn excited right now! I never thought...wow. Okay, in fact I do know the answer to this. She’s always wanted a pear-shaped diamond.”

“Perfect,” I say, relieved. “Do not say anything.”

“Of course I won’t,” she replies, offended. “I am so happy for you both, River. You both deserve happiness, and I can see how much you truly love each other. Who would have thought? I still remember the first time both of you met. I tried warning her away from you, but she didn’t listen to me. And for once I’m glad that she didn’t.”

“Me, too,” I reply, remembering that fateful night. “Although you were probably right to warn her.”

She tilts her head to the side, studying me. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to her.”

She then gets up on her tiptoes and kisses me on the cheek, before leaving the room. I pull out my phone and look at some different rings.

If pear is what Bella wants, pear is what she’s going to get.

And the bigger the rock, the better.

I only plan on doing this once in my life, so it needs to be fucking amazing.