Chapter 57 Lexi
LEXI
That night, as I tucked Evie into bed, Jonah leaned against the doorway. “Can I read her bedtime story tonight?”
Evie heard, and she nodded, smiling. I watched as he sat on the bed next to her, his legs long as they stretched out in front of him while Evie lay under the blanket.
By the time he finished the book, she was fast asleep.
What really tugged at my heart was when Jonah stood up and I realized that she’d been holding on to his hand all along.
The next morning, when she woke up, it seemed like she had given this matter some thought. Over breakfast, she asked me, “Mom … is Jonah going to be my dad now?”
I brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. “Sweetheart, Dylan is and will always be your dad. Jonah is someone who also loves you very much, but nothing else is changing.”
Her little fingers curled around mine. “So, we don’t have to leave this house? We don’t have to move in with him?”
I squeezed her hand gently. “No, sweetheart. We don’t have to do anything until we’re both ready. This is our home, and we’ll only make changes when it feels right for both of us.”
Her gaze drifted toward her stuffed animals on the floor. “So someday … we will move in with him?”
I took a deep breath. “Only if you’re okay with it, Evie. You know we’re going to his place for his surprise birthday party in a few days? You can see if you like it there.”
She looked back at me, brow furrowed in thought. “But what if I miss my room after we move there?”
I smiled and brushed my fingers through her hair. “We’ll find a way to bring your room with us. Your clothes, your toys, and all your books. We’d make it feel like home together. But we don’t have to decide that now.”
Her shoulders relaxed just a little. “Okay. Can I still see him if we don’t live there yet?”
“Of course, baby,” I said, wrapping her in a hug. “You get to take your time, just like I am. We’ll figure it out together. As long as we’re a team, we’ll be okay wherever we live.”
That seemed to put her at ease. She smiled and gave me one more squeeze before settling back into her chair to finish her cereal.
At that moment, I felt like everything in my life couldn’t get any better. I had the kind of love I hadn’t dared dream about, and I hoped that I got to keep it forever.
A week later, much to my surprise, Evie announced she was ready to live in Jonah’s penthouse.
We’d visited several times before she came to her decision, and I wondered if the luxurious apartment and large TV had influenced her, but I cautiously moved some of our things over while keeping the lease on my old apartment.
Sasha was moving out in a month to live with her fiancé. She was happy I wouldn’t be alone but didn’t understand why I felt the need to keep the lease. But we still had eight months left on it anyway, and I wasn’t sure if Evie would change her mind again and demand to go back.
One night after I moved, when Jonah had gone to sleep early, I snuck out of our bedroom to make a call.
I walked into the high-ceilinged living room, my phone in my hand as I sat down on the couch. I sank in instantly while I stared at a contact name on my phone screen.
Ed Walkers.
Three months ago, I would have been scandalized to think I’d have the phone number of the company’s owner. Now, I just felt jaded when I stared at the name and considered what I had to do.
I took a deep breath and hit Call before I could talk myself out of it. The phone rang three times. Four. Finally, I heard something.
“Yeah?”
That was it. No hello. No this is Ed, just a gravelly bark of a man who sounded like I’d interrupted his very important day.
“Hi, Ed! This is Lexi. Jonah’s girlfriend.”
Silence. I heard a clock ticking somewhere.
“We met at the yacht party on the Hudson a while ago,” I added.
I got nothing from him.
I pressed on. “I’m throwing a small thing at our place tomorrow for Jonah’s birthday. Nothing fancy. Just friends, a few drinks, and a cake I’m baking for him. I thought it might mean a lot to him if you came.”
He sighed, like I’d asked him to donate a million dollars instead of show up for his own son. Perhaps the former might have even been easier for him.
“That’s not really my thing.”
I blinked. “Showing up?”
“Parties,” he said flatly. “Jonah doesn’t need me there.”
“He doesn’t expect you there,” I said, forcing my voice to remain gentle, “but I think it would mean a lot to him. Even if you just came for ten minutes. You wouldn’t have to bring anything. Just come by.”
He was silent for a bit, before he spoke again. “I’ve got plans.”
I froze, wondering if I’d heard him right. “B-but … you didn’t even ask what day it is.”
Another beat of silence passed before he drew in a sharp breath.
“Wait. Did you just say you were hosting Jonah’s birthday at home?”
“Yes,” I said, keeping my tone light. Was there a chance he could make it?
“Home,” Ed repeated slowly. “You mean your place, or Jonah’s?”
I swallowed, realizing my mistake. I could just lie to him, but… if he did show up, he’d see the tell-tale signs of Evie and my presence here. “Ours,” I said at last.
“Ours,” Ed echoed. A pause stretched between us. “So you’re living together now.”
I took a breath. “We are. We were hoping to tell you in person.”
“I see. I’ll check in with Cora and get back to you,” he muttered. “And if I can’t make it, tell him happy birthday.”
The call ended, and I sat there, staring at the phone, wishing I could slam it into something without breaking my screen.
I got up and walked to the kitchen, pulling the cake batter from the fridge where I’d tucked it earlier. I sighed as I set it on the counter. There would be more cake for the people who actually cared.
And Jonah? He’d get extra helpings. One for every person who didn’t show up, but should’ve.