Chapter Thirty-Four
Bring Your Family
Anthony
My heart was skipping beats on me. I felt like I was in the middle of a damn basketball game. If she moved, I had every intention of throwing myself in her path. I wanted her to choose to stay, but I didn’t know how to let her go if she didn’t.
“You say you want a life for her, let me fucking give it to you. Let me take care of you both, Crystal, I swear to God… Stop this. Where is your ring?”
I took her hand in mine, and she didn’t pull away. Her knuckles were bare, and the sight of it made me nauseous.
She reached to her neck with the other hand and plucked the chain from her under her shirt, letting the ring dangle down her chest.
“Put it on,” I whispered, sliding my palm along her face. “Put it on and let me take you home.”
“Yeah,” she exhaled, with a gentle shake of her head, “where the fuck is home?”
“Right now, wherever we are together. Next week, in the one we pick out.”
Her lower lip quivered, and my fingers curled into a fist. I could sense that something was off from the beginning of the whole mess, but now I was convinced, her leaving wasn’t random. It wasn’t cold feet or whatever Mark scoffed about.
She didn’t run from me.
She was chased off.
“Come with me. We’ll get the marriage license again in the morning and it’ll be done by the weekend. I won’t let you out of my sight until you have my last name. I won’t ever let anything come between us again, Crystal…”
I trailed off when her gaze shifted and locked over my right shoulder.
“I was wondering what had you all tied up and losing your mind these past months,” Aunt Daisy’s voice sounded, before I could turn to investigate what had stolen her attention.
“I, uhm…”
“You’re the one he’s in love with.” Aunt Daisy smile radiated in her tone.
“Aunt Daisy.” I cleared my throat.
She snorted and canted her head, quietly challenging me to deny it. I sighed, having done a damn good job of keeping the details to myself. I’d lost my temper more than a few times, but I never told her about Crystal, or Springfield.
“Get your family together, Anthony, I’ll have breakfast waiting at home for all three of you.”
Crystal’s faint smile made my attention anchor on her, rather than my departing aunt.
“That’s, uhm…”
“Daisy,” she offered.
I nodded, “You should probably get your sister, she isn’t used to repeating herself about mealtimes.”
Crystal, rubbed her upper arms and hesitantly nodded. When she shifted toward the door, I placed a hand on her upper chest, halting her in her path.
“Put. The. Ring. Back. On,” I firmly, but quietly repeated.
She reached behind her neck and carefully did as I asked. I kissed her knuckles and held her to me, until a year’s worth of tension slowly began to fade.