Epilogue
JESS
“Savannah…” I sit down awkwardly opposite her.
She agreed to meet me at Newbury street after I sent her a quick text about Taro.
“He’s dead?” is the first thing she says to me. “Is that true?”
“Nadir killed him last night.” I keep my voice to a minimum. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
Savannah shuffles in her seat, her jaw hard set.
I hand her the coffee I haven’t been able to give her yet. I tensed up the second I saw her walking toward me on the other side of the street. She looks good. Savannah always looks fucking good. Hair in a bouncy blowout. Ass to die for in her new booty shorts range.
“I promise I was going to tell you,” I say.
“Why did it take you six years?”
“Honestly? I think I was always scared to tell you the truth. I was terrified of losing my best friend.”
Savannah’s jaw softens a tad.
“I know it sounds stupid—”
“It doesn’t sound stupid.”
“But if anything had happened to Rosie…” I can’t finish that sentence.
“Nothing did happen to Rosie.” Savannah takes a sip of coffee. I do the same. And then she pauses, her eyes blowing wide. “Your wrists.”
I hold one up, shoving my sleeve down as soon as I see how red they are. God, I woke up this morning and forgot all about it. I only had two things on the agenda. Thinking about last night was not on there.
“Holy shit, Jess.” Savannah reaches across the table and gently peels the sleeve back, revealing red skin, which is now starting to turn purple as it becomes a bruise. “What the hell happened?”
“I’m fine.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“I didn’t come here to talk about me. I came to—”
“I don’t care about that anymore,” she says as she flips my wrist, seeing that the redness goes all the way around, like a bracelet. “Tell me what happened?”
“Taro got hold of me. I suppose you could say I was being held as a ransom last night, leverage against Nadir to make him hand over his business and everything.”
“What happened?”
I sum up the main points. “Nadir drove out and got me. He killed Taro while he was at it.”
“Holy shit, he really killed Taro?”
“Yep.” I cradle my hands around the coffee and go for another sip.
“What about the kids? Are they okay?”
“Yes.” I hesitate to say this next part. “Nadir’s looking after them.”
Savannah’s face softens. “You trust him.” She says it as a statement.
“Getting there.”
She smirks over the rim of her coffee cup. “I was right. He was holding back and was sitting with something pretty vulnerable. And now you trust him because he finally decided to open up.”
“Like I said, I’m getting there.”
“No, you’re already there. You just won’t admit the truth because it terrifies you.”
“My kids are my world, Savannah, which is why I feel so—”
“Don’t. We’re not circling back around to me right now.
It was wrong of me to storm off. I should’ve spoken to you.
” She dishes me a sad look. “If I found out you’d lost your life because of Taro, knowing we ended things on bad terms, I would never have forgiven myself.
Life is too short to be pissed off at someone.
And it’s way too fucking short to deny yourself of love,” she says between sips of her coffee.
“You reunited with the father of your children. Isn’t that a sign that you’re meant to be with him? ”
“I don’t believe in signs.”
“Then believe that there are approximately three hundred thousand men living in Boston, and you happened to bump into your baby daddy…who turns out to be the boss for a job you love.” Savannah slams her coffee cup down on the table. “Have some faith.”
“I’m not here to talk about faith. I’m here to apologize.”
“Yeah, well…” She shrugs. “I’m not accepting your apology until you accept your love for Nadir.”
She returns to her coffee, smirking.
Bitch.
“Mommy!” All three of my children squeal with joy as I walk in through the door.
“Can we see Ziven again? Can we?” Willow pesters as I bring her into a tight hug.
“Ziven? Who on earth is Ziven?”
“The guy I left these kids with last night,” Nadir says, heading away from the dining table, which is all set up. Four table mats. Child-friendly flatware…
I give him a look. Did he…make them breakfast?
“Scrambled eggs,” Nadir says, approaching me with a delicious smile. “I didn’t have much in, but I thought this would be easy for them to swallow.”
“Scrambled eggs is for weekends only,” I tell him as I pull my babies closer. “It takes way too long to cook during the week when I have to get them all ready for kindergarten.”
“I don’t mind,” he says. “And anyway, you have help now.”
My heart feels like it’s been struck by a rainbow.
He also needs to wipe that smile from his face. I don’t know how much longer I can resist him.
“We missed you so much, Mommy!” Iris says, clinging to me.
“Yeah,” Charlie says. “But I miss the candy.”
“Candy?” I squat down to meet their precious little gazes. “Who’s giving you candy?”
“Ziven.”
“Candy is a—”
“Weekend treat only,” Nadir interjects. “I’m sure. But these guys deserve a little reward for being so well-behaved.”
God, I missed them so much. I pull them in for one more squeeze, relief flooding through me, and stand back up, hands on hips. “Did you thank Nadir for the breakfast?”
“Yes,” they all say in unison.
“Good. Now, let’s get you back to the table before your eggs go cold.”
Nadir helps me guide them back over, tucking them in. We swapped out the original dining room chairs for something higher so they’d be closer to the table. But the kiddos are so small that they’re still barely able to reach.
“We should order some booster seats,” Nadir suggests. “Ones more well-suited for them.”
I lose myself in this eyes for a moment. Nadir Medvedev, Boston’s billionaire powerhouse, really just suggested changing around his furniture to accommodate three little children.
He wouldn’t be suggesting that if—
“Mommy?” Willow says, poking her spoon into the eggs. “How much longer do we get to stay here for?”
“Please say forever.” Iris clasps her hands together. “Pretty, pretty please.”
I feel Nadir’s hot gaze on me, watching.
I break out in a flush. He’s waiting for my answer just as much as the kids are. He wants me to introduce him to the kids properly. Wants me to reciprocate his feelings and stay here. With him.
Seeing how easy and natural family life comes to us, I don’t feel as afraid anymore.
Besides, I always said the kids come first. They’d be heartbroken if we left this place, and they never got to see Nadir again.
“We’re not going anywhere,” I say to them. “We’re staying right here.”
The kids cheer, throwing their hands into the air. I look across at Nadir and see the biggest smile break out on his face.
And suddenly, I have all the faith in the world.
The End.
P.S. If you enjoyed Mile High Triplets, then I think you’ll enjoy Irish Doctor’s Secret Triplets! Swipe to the next page for a sneak peek…