Chapter 33 #2
I’m here, in her house, under her roof with the same woman who has claimed to hate me for years, and yet, no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to stay away.
I know, deep down, she does in fact like me or she wouldn’t have spent hours between the sheets with me and risked her position at Moore every cutting remark, every deflection only pulls me in deeper.
She pushes me back, but all it does is make me want to get closer.
I want to peel back every layer, take my time learning everything about her, discovering the parts she hides and the ones she doesn’t even know she’s protecting.
And that little boy she’s raising is a fucking delight. He’s funny and smart, and I could be wrong, but I swear he said my name today. It sounded more like Ma than Max, but I’ll take it.
He may not have had the best of starts but Paige is doing a fantastic job and giving him a life he deserves.
Griffin Holmes might well be his father, but he doesn’t need him.
With Paige at the helm, he’s flourishing.
I admire the way she’s changed her life to accommodate Alfie into hers.
She’ll make sure he never wants for anything anyway.
His nursery is a testament to that, as well as the nanny she hired and the home she’s fully baby proofed.
I almost ripped my fingernail off trying to figure out how the kitchen cupboards opened.
They’re not just baby proof, they’re also adult proof.
“Emma will be back on Monday,” I inform her. “I told her to take the rest of the week off or until she feels better. She called your phone. I hope you don’t mind me answering it.”
“Not at all. Thank you.” She shoots me a small smile.
“You said it was your nana the day you were in my office when Marin arrived unannounced, but what you really meant was your nanny, am I right?” Why did she lie?
“I didn’t want you to know.” Looking deflated, her shoulders slump.
“Why not?” I rest my ass on the vanity unit and cross my legs at my ankles, folding my arms around my front.
“Because until the adoption goes through, I keep thinking he’s going to slip through my fingers.
Like he could be taken from me at any moment.
What if Marin comes back and says she wants him after all?
I just thought… the fewer people who knew about him, the safer it felt.
My heart couldn’t handle it. People asking about him if he wasn’t mine anymore.
” She trails off, her eyes dropping to the floor, voice barely a whisper.
Paige might put on a strong front, but she has insecurities and confidence issues just like the rest of us.
“It would break your heart,” I say. She’s fucking breaking mine.
Seeing how much she loves Alfie makes me admire her even more.
Saintly doesn’t even scratch the surface; she’s a fucking goddess.
“I wouldn’t survive it. I love him.”
“I know you do. But no one is taking him from you, Paige. Marin won’t fight you.” From what I’ve seen with my own eyes and heard about her from Paige, her sister only cares about herself. “When does the adoption come through?”
“The paperwork was filed months ago, all my background checks have been done, they waived my home visit due to my position as a lawyer, and now we wait for the court hearing, which is in a month.”
The hot water begins to fill the bathroom with steam, creating soft spirals that resemble little sprites dancing through the air.
“You have nothing to worry about, Paige. It will go through.”
“I know, but there’s always that tiny”—she pinches the air between her fingers—“sliver of what-ifs that you can never predict. Marin could mess it all up at the last minute.”
I don’t think she will. “Paige, look at me.”
She looks up and stops picking at her nails, looking fragile and nothing like the woman who sat in my office, cool and composed, calling me and my brothers “egos in suits.”
“The offer is still on the table. Just say the word and I will ask Nathan to have a quiet word with Judge Holmes. His DNA in exchange for a signed NDA to guarantee your secrecy in exchange for a seamless adoption.” It’s really that simple. All she needs is leverage.
Her eyes widen as if she had never considered that, but I’ve given it a lot of thought the last few days.
“It’s a good plan but let me think about it. My head’s still a little fuzzy.”
It’s a no-brainer, but I admire her caution. It’s a bold move, one that could work in her favor, but she needs time to think about it properly. To consider all her options.
“Let’s get you in the shower.” I push myself off the vanity unit and help her to her feet. “Shout if you need me.” I turn to leave once she’s steady.
“You’re not staying?” she asks in slow-spaced words.
“Do you want me to?” My brows knit together. I’m surprised she hasn’t already kicked me out the bathroom after invading her house, like a vampire without an invitation.
She nods, once, just a fraction—I almost don’t catch it—then twice, much firmer this time. “Can you help me? Or do you not want to get sick?”
“I’m past caring about that, Paige. Also, stomach bugs have never bothered me. I seem to have a stomach of steel. When my brothers got sick, I never did. I never got chicken pox either. I’m apparently immune.”
Without words, I accept by pulling my T-shirt up over my head and pull off my gray joggers, taking my boxers with them.
What we do when we meet up in hotels feels different compared to being in her personal surroundings.
This is intimate and really pushing her outside her comfort zone.
Completely naked now, I wait for her to make her move.