50. I Beg To Differ
I Beg To Differ
Luke
Finally home after a long day, I drop onto the couch, loosening my tie. Spending hours sitting next to Dani has fucked with my emotions. I scrub a hand through my hair, hanging my head. Fuck, I miss her.
My phone starts ringing in my jacket pocket.
"Hey, Luke." Erin sings when I answer. "Heard you won Dani's case. Thank you. She is so fucking happy that Josh is no longer in her life."
"No thanks needed, I'd do anything for her." I admit. "I’m glad you called, though. I need your advice."
Erin squeals. "I knew this day was going to come!"
"What day?"
"The day you finally pull your head out of your ass and ask me for help. What advice can I bestow."
I rub the back of my neck. "How do I go about getting Daniella to believe me that I am truly sorry about what happened that day in the hospital with Mason."
Erin makes a clicking noise. "We’re coming over," she says and hangs up.
Twenty minutes later, I let Erin and Jake into my condo. Erin kisses my cheek and walks into the living room, dropping onto the couch and patting the spot next to her. I glance over at Jake.
"That spot is for you," he smiles.
I take a seat next to Erin. She faces me with one leg tucked under her ass. "Tell me why you didn't call her into the room."
I swallow hard. "Honestly, I thought Mason was just being difficult. I had no idea he was scared of needles and the nurses never told me. I didn't want to bother Daniella with something that should've been simple. She was so worn out, I wanted to show her I can be someone she could trust when it came to her son."
"Damn dude," Jake mutters. "I don’t think Doll has ever had a man want to step up with Mason."
"What do you mean?" I look between Jake and Erin.
Erin stands and shoulders her purse. "You have the floor, babe. I’m going to grab something to eat," she kisses Jake and walks out the door.
I stare at Jake. "What just happened?"
"This is a subject that Kitten doesn’t like talking about. She loves Dani so fiercely that it upsets her." Jake cracks his knuckles. "And I hate seeing my wife upset."
Is he going to kick my ass?
"Doll has a huge heart, and when she loves, she loves with everything she has. But all the men she’s ever fallen in love with, have done nothing to deserve it. And none of them wanted Mason in the picture." Jake says.
"Meaning?" I ask.
"Ever since Josh, Dani has only seemed to attract complete fuckheads. None of them have ever wanted Mason around. They would guilt her into sending him to her parents or to stay with us so they could go out. They made Mason feel like he was a burden which made Doll feel like the worlds worst mother for letting these men dictate her life. " Jake sits forward in the chair. "That is, until you showed up."
"I’m no better than those men," I admit.
"I beg to differ. You treated her like a fucking queen. Sure, you fucked up, but every guy does at least once."
"Did you?"
"Big time. Erin was my student when we started our relationship. We kept it hidden, no one knew except for Dani," Jake sighs and sits back. "We got caught and I was given an ultimatum: break it off with Erin or lose my job. I broke it off."
"How’d you get her back?"
Jake chuckles. "Tons of groveling, and I tattooed 'property of Erin' over my dick."
I stare at him. "And that worked?"
"Well, the groveling consisted of showing Erin something no one else but family knew about. If you show Dani a side of you that no one has ever seen, it will mean more to her than anything you could ever do or say."
"Does Dani know what you showed Erin?" I question.
"She does. And you’ve probably seen what it was that I did to get Erin back. There’s a few of them in Dani’s house," Jake smirks. "And one she wears with pride."
"One she wears with pri—the tattoo of Mason. You did it?"
Jake nods with a bright smile. "I drew it."
I sit there shocked. I had seen the illustrated pictures around Dani's house, I had always wondered who drew the ones of young Mason and Dani. I figured she had them commissioned, I would have never guessed that Jake had done them. They are magnificent.
"There is one thing that only my family knows about." I tell Jake, even though Dani had caught me that day in my office. However, I don't think she fully believes what she heard.
"Then that’s what you have to do."