15. Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Fifteen
JAY
Head shaking and with a smile on my face, I knocked on her door. Nora wasn’t crying, but she hadn’t been any of the dozen times I’d shown up here over the last two weeks. Hopefully, by now, Sarah understood what I wanted. What my intentions were.
I refused to sit in my apartment alone when I wanted to be here with them. Again, I had to laugh at myself. For months, I’d wanted to be alone and in my own space, and now that I had that, I wanted to be somewhere else entirely.
The routine Sarah and I had gotten into was the best part of my day. I would show up, and she would open the door, that gorgeous knowing smile directed at me.
Except not this time. The moment the door swung open, I could tell something was wrong. The skittish, frazzled woman I had met that first night was back.
“What’s wrong?” I followed her into the apartment.
She stood in the middle of the open living room, scanning the space and wringing her hands.
“I don’t know.” Her voice wavered as she spoke. “I think someone’s been in here.”
“What?” I snapped.
She spun back to me, fear and uncertainty settling over her like a dark cloud.
I took in a deep breath, wanting to kick myself for using such a rough tone. “Sorry. Didn’t mean for that to come out so harshly. But what do you mean you think someone’s been in here?”
“Maybe I’m just losing my mind.” She shook her head. “But things seem like they’ve been moved.”
Her phone vibrated where it sat on the coffee table. I swear to God I would lose my mind if it was another text from that wrong number. We all knew it was that piece of shit wannabe Danny Zuko.
By the time she picked it up and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, I was at her side.
Shaking, she handed me the phone.
You look beautiful in that dress today.
What the hell?
I’d had the same thought when she opened the door a second before, but it had evaporated the moment I’d seen her face .
God dammit.
“I’m staying here tonight.”
“What? You don’t need?—”
I placed my finger on her lips. Even terrified, she was affected by my touch. Her eyes went wide, then heated. Damn, did I want to cover her mouth with mine until we both forgot all about the danger that lurked.
“What do I keep telling you?”
She smiled behind my finger.
“I’ll say it over and over again if I have to.” I brushed a finger along her cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I want to. I want to be here and take care of you and Nora. You are important to me, and I need to know you’re both safe.”
I threaded my fingers through her hair and then rested my hand at the back of her neck. More than anything, I wanted to claim her mouth, but I held back, giving her ample time to pull away. But when her eyes drifted closed and she tilted forward, I met her halfway, molding my lips to hers. This kiss was different from the last few. It was desperate and frenzied. And I wanted so much more.
A loud-pitched giggling pulled me from the moment. We broke apart, and in unison, we turned to look at Nora, who stood holding on to the edge of the coffee table and reaching out for us.
I let go of Sarah, ready to scoop her up.
“Wait,” Sarah breathed, her hand landing on my forearm.
Nora giggled again, wobbling in place. Then she was moving. Three quick steps forward before she wobbled once more and plopped down on her butt.
“Oh my god, she did it.”
The awe in Sarah’s voice made me chuckle. We had talked about this for the last three nights. She was certain that Nora would take her first steps any day, and she was right. I got the excitement. I was feeling the awe too. It was one thing to know it would happen, but another thing entirely to witness it.
“You said she would soon.” I scooped Nora off the floor.
She sighed. “I’m so glad I got to see it. I was afraid she’d do it while I was working.”
I brought Nora closer to her mama, and Sarah tickled her belly, praising her.
A conversation with my dad a few years ago came to mind as I soaked in the moment. He had told me that when I found the woman that I wanted to spend forever with, I’d just know it. At the time, I had rolled my eyes. He’d been lecturing me because I wasn’t ready to bring the girl I was dating home to meet my parents.
But right here, right now, his words made total sense.