Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
Anastacia
I feel really stupid over the next couple of days for how I acted.
Grizz does nothing to make me feel that way, it’s just in my head.
Our life is exactly how it was before, with him going out to the club all day, stopping in for a while, then heading back out.
I’m so curious to know what it is he’s doing, but I don’t worry about it anymore.
Not the way I did. I’m not sure about what he said, but I believe that he isn’t out doing anything wrong.
Maybe I should have asked him sooner rather than letting it build.
But he’s right… we’re going to fight sometimes. That’s normal.
We have a short time before Christmas, so I’ve spent the last hour online shopping for gifts.
Grizz demanded to pay for everything. I argued with him, so we split it instead.
I knew he wouldn’t give in, so even though I don’t actually agree with it, I had to.
Because money isn’t what matters. All that matters is having an amazing Christmas with people I care about and who care about me.
This is the first Christmas that I have money to buy gifts for people, and I’ll get some in return. I feel giddy like a kid over it all. I hope my daughter feels like this every Christmas for her whole life.
Footsteps on the stairs have me looking that way, and I see Kelsey walking down. She comes over to sit on the couch, her face expressionless. I put down my phone to give her my full attention.
“Well, did you do it?” I ask quietly.
Tommy is outside, salting the driveway since we’re supposed to get more snow, but I can’t risk being loud about this. There are cameras everywhere, and they may pick up sound from inside the house.
Kelsey nods, looking me in the eyes. I can’t tell what the answer is.
I got her that test all those weeks ago and she hasn’t done it yet.
Not until this morning. She’s been scared…
terrified of what the answer is, but she’s still not been feeling good and she hasn’t gotten her period.
The anticipation is killing me as I wait for her to tell me what the hell is going on.
Because if this isn’t a baby, something is seriously wrong.
“It’s positive,” she whispers.
I gasp, jumping up to my feet, filled with joy. But then dread washes over me, and I sit back down. I want to celebrate this, but maybe she’s not ready to celebrate yet. This is a lot to take in, and though it’s exactly what she wants, I understand how this doesn’t come with happy feelings for her.
“How are you feeling?” I ask. “What are you thinking? What’s the plan?”
She shakes her head. “I can’t tell him yet, but I don’t know how to do this without him. I should call the doctor, but how will I get there without him?”
“Grizz will help you.”
She grimaces, leaning back against the couch. “I don’t want to see him upset when I have to tell him that—”
“No, Kelsey, don’t do that,” I say as nicely, but firmly, as possible. “You need to stay positive, okay? This could be it.”
“We’ve said that before.”
“It doesn’t matter. How many people have said that and it really was the time? You don’t know what’s going to happen. Grizz will understand, and he will keep this a secret for you.”
“I’m so scared to be happy about this, Anastacia.”
God, that breaks my heart.
I take her hand. “I can’t say I understand, because I don’t, but I am here for you no matter what. I will say again that I think you should tell both of them, but I get why you aren’t, and that’s okay. I’m here for you always, okay? I’m on your side.”
She squeezes my hand then wipes away a stray tear.
“Thank you,” she says.
“Always. We’re sisters now.”
She huffs a laugh, looking out the window. “I want to tell him. He was always so happy, the one to keep me positive, but seeing what he went through after… I just don’t think I can.”
“He wouldn’t want you to go through this alone…”
She nods. “I know, but… maybe I can wait a little while. A couple of weeks. If everything feels okay, I’ll call the doctor to make an appointment.”
“How about New Years?”
“That’s a great idea.” She smiles, but she looks so tired. “Like a fresh start.”
“Exactly. A fresh start with good news.”
“I have a surprise for you,” Grizz says after walking through the door.
“For me?”
He nods, grinning as he takes off his jacket. His boots come off next, and then he’s walking toward me. Before kissing me, he gets to the floor and kisses Dorothea who is bouncing away in her chair, trying to grab the little fish hanging above her.
When his lips are on mine, I don’t want him to stop. I missed him today. More than usual, for some reason.
“Close your eyes,” he whispers.
They fall closed. I listen for any signs of what he’s doing but get nothing.
“You can open them now.”
I open my eyes, blinking a few times, my gaze going to the box Grizz is offering me. It’s small, long and velvet, like a jewelry box.
“What is this?”
“Open it and find out.”
He sits on the couch beside me, and I lick my lips, my chest getting all warm and fuzzy.
No one has ever bought me a gift before. Not like this, not for no reason.
I pop it open and gasp, my hand going to my chest.
“Grizz, I—”
“Do you like it?”
The necklace is sparkling in the light. A small infinity symbol that is attached at both ends to a thin gold chain.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe out.
He takes the box from me to remove the necklace, and gestures for me to come closer, so I straddle his lap. He leans forward, moving my hair aside and putting the necklace on. It’s not a long chain, so I can’t see it, but I press my finger tips to it against my chest.
“Looks hot,” he mumbles, leaning in to kiss my collarbone.
I giggle, sliding my hands along his shoulders.
“What is this for?” I ask as his hands slide around my waist, pulling me to him. He’s trailing kisses along my chest, up my neck and back down.
“Because I love you,” he says softly. “And I wanted to buy you something nice.”
“I don’t need you to buy me things.”
“I know that.” He nibbles on my ear lobe, then moves back down my neck. I love the way he shows attention to my body. He makes me feel beautiful and wanted. “Which is why I wanted to do it.”
He’s growing hard beneath me, and I would so badly love to lead him into the bedroom to finish this, but…
“We promised to make dinner tonight,” I groan.
“Let them starve,” he growls, hands sliding under my ass.
I laugh harder. “That’s not nice.”
He grunts, then nips at my neck.
“Grizz…” I complain.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too, but I’m hungry.”
With a huff, he sits back. There’s so much heat in his eyes, and for a moment I consider skipping dinner, but…
I ate an early lunch and I really am hungry.
I’ve been getting headaches when I wait too long to eat, so I’ve been trying to be better with that.
If we disappear into the bedroom, who knows how long it’ll be until we come out.
I get off his lap begrudgingly before even I can’t tell him no.
“If you knew how to be quick, this wouldn’t be a problem,” I chastise as I walk away.
“Have you seen you? Who wouldn’t want to spend every second touching and kissing you?”
I smile at him over my shoulder as I head into the kitchen. The chicken has been marinating in the fridge since this morning, and I probably should have cooked it sooner, but Grizz likes helping me.
“Do you have to go back out?” I ask.
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, kinda.”
“Kinda?” I open the bag of chicken and dump it into the glass baking dish, then preheat the oven.
“I need to, but I don’t want to. And I could probably get away with not going.”
I smile, but then it falls. “If you have to go, just go.”
He nods, then helps me with dinner. We don’t talk about it again. Cooking dinner together has become one of our favorite things to do. I don’t know much about cooking, but he teaches me, even though he said he doesn’t know anything either. He knows a hell of a lot more than I do.
“Anastacia, that necklace is beautiful!” Kelsey says while we’re eating at the dinner table.
I press my hand to it, smiling proudly.
“Isn’t it? Grizz got it for me.”
Kelsey whacks Tommy.
“Hey! What was that for?”
“Why don’t you buy me anything nice?”
“I just bought you a whole tub of ice cream.”
She scoffs, looking back at me. “See what I have to deal with?” Turning her attention to Grizz, she says, “Don’t turn into him.”
Grizz just laughs.
The four of us enjoy our meal together, as we usually do. After the kitchen is clean, Grizz leaves, like he has every night for the last couple of weeks. And I go to bed alone.