Chapter 41
Riggs
It takes me watching Zoe rush out of the restaurant before it registers to me why she’s upset. “Shit,” I hiss, jumping down and racing after her.
By the time I clear the door, she’s long gone. “Fuck,” I yell in the empty parking lot. How could I misread the situation so badly?
I rush back into the restaurant to get my phone to call her, but she sends me straight to voicemail. I text Marco, the manager, and ask him to come in and clean up our dinner mess. I don’t know where Zoe went, but I’m assuming it’s to her mom’s house.
Out of options, I call Stone.
“What’s up?” he answers.
“I fucked up. What’s your address?”
“What happened?”
“Zoe and I met for dinner. I thought we were making up, but she got upset and stormed off.”
“What did you say to upset her?” he asks, voice hard.
“Shit,” I swear under my breath. I can’t exactly tell him we made love and then she ran away. He’s not going to want to hear that. “I don’t know.” That’s not a complete lie. I really don’t know why she left, although I have my suspicions.
“She just pulled into the driveway. I’ll text you the address.”
“Thanks.” If I can just talk to her, maybe she won’t be so upset.
“Don’t make me regret this,” He warns.
“I won’t.”
As soon as I get the text with his address, I race to my wife. It doesn’t take me long to get to Zoe’s mom’s house. My heart beats fast, threatening to explode. I’m terrified I won’t be able to convince Zoe to come back to me. Without her, I’m completely and utterly lost.
Stone steps out onto the porch. His arms are crossed as he looks me up and down, frowning. “She’s in her room,” he finally tells me.
“Her room is at our house,” I hiss.
“I don’t disagree, but she’ll always have a home with Jules and me if she needs it.”
I nod, understanding how he feels. Sometimes I forget he’s more than just my tattoo artist. He’s her stepdad. “She’s lucky she has you two.”
“She’s also lucky she has you. I’ve only known Zoe since she was sixteen, but, in that time, I’ve watched her flounder. That is, until you came into her life.”
His words give me some hope, but I’m afraid it’s too late. “I don’t know how to convince her to come home,” I admit.
“Zoe is a lot like her mother. They run when they get scared. There’s nothing scarier than loving someone again after losing a person who you thought you’d have in your life forever. Don’t let her run.”
That’s proving to be easier said than done. “Can I see her?”
Stone opens the door, motioning for me to follow him. He stops outside a closed door, knocking twice. “Zoe? You have a visitor.”
“Tell him to go away.” Although the door muffles her voice, I can still tell she’s crying.
Enough of this. “I’m coming in whether you open the door or not.” I keep my voice calm despite the panic I feel.
“There’s nothing left to say.”
“I think there’s a whole lot to say,” I argue.
Stone plucks a door key from the top of the door frame and inserts it into the hole in the doorknob. “Again. . . Don’t make me regret this.”
He walks away as the door swings open. Zoe is on the bed, curled up, hugging a pillow, and crying. The scene before me breaks my heart. This is all my fault.
I close the distance between us, sitting on the bed and pulling her into my arms. “Baby, please don’t block me out.”
“How could you fuck me like that and then act like it didn’t matter?” Her chin wobbles as she cries.
“What do you mean? Of course it mattered. I thought we would talk about you coming home after, but you bolted. Why did you run?”
“What if I get pregnant?”
Shit. She’s worried about not using a condom. “That was careless, and I’m sorry. I should’ve protected you more.”
“Do you even want kids with me?”
“I want whatever you want.”
She starts to argue, but I place my finger over her lips.
“I’m not trying to be flippant. I always wanted more kids, but Gretchen was happy with just Calla. After the divorce, I assumed I would be single forever. One child was enough. But then you came along and showed me we could build a life together. I want my life with you to be filled with everything that makes you happy because you being happy makes me happy.” Why doesn’t she understand that all I want is her?
“How can we be happy if Calla hates me? I can’t come between you two.”
Not this again. “Calla is dramatic, but it won’t be long before she moves on to something else. We need to give her time to adjust.”
Zoe pulls away, standing and twirling around to face me. “Why don’t you love me?” she cries. Her voice is so loud I’m sure the whole neighborhood hears this.
My jaw drops. “What? How can you ask that?”
“You’ve never said you love me other than when you were trying to manipulate me into staying.” She swipes at the tears pouring from her eyes as she hiccups.
I stand, pulling her into a hug. “I love you with all my heart.”
“Then why won’t you say it?” She relaxes into my touch.
“Because I don’t want you to leave me.” There. I’ve admitted the truth.
“What?”
“I’ve been alone for most of my life. My dad ran off when I was little, my mom and sister moved away when I was on the racing circuit. Even Gretchen got sick of my shit and left. Everyone I’ve ever loved has left. I was afraid the more I clung to you, the more you’d feel smothered and want to leave.”
“I want you to smother me. I need you to. After my dad died, I felt so unlovable. I need to know you love me. I need to hear it all the time. Especially after you’ve been inside me.”
“Zoe. . .” I fucked up. My sweet girl requires aftercare, and I’ve just let her dangle in the wind.
She places her hands on my chest and looks up at me. “I need to matter to you enough that you stay. No matter what.”
“Then you have to give me that chance to stay.” I can’t believe she thinks I’d ever leave.
“I’m so mad at my dad. I tried to write him a letter, but I couldn’t. He was supposed to love me, but I wasn’t worth living for.”
I swallow hard. “Baby, what your dad did wasn’t because he didn’t want to live for you. It was because his brain lied to him and told him you’d be better off without him.”
“I have to be enough,” she says through her tears.
“You are, baby. You’re more than enough. You’re everything.”
She hugs me tighter, sobbing. I hold her until she cries out all her tears and falls asleep in my arms.
I watch Zoe sleep, not wanting to let go just in case she wakes up and never wants to see me again. If this is my last opportunity to hold her, I’m not letting go until she makes me.
“Hey,” Zoe’s mom whispers, poking her head inside the room. Her eyes settle on her sleeping daughter and she smiles. “It looks like you have things covered.”
“Wait,” I say before she can close the door. “Can we talk?”
She steps inside, closing the door behind her. There’s not much space inside the small room, so she sits at the foot of the bed.
“I’m not sorry Zoe and I got married in Vegas, but I am sorry for the way you had to find out. If Calla ran off and married some guy old enough to be her dad, I’d be behind bars.”
She chuckles. “You’re lucky my husband knows how to calm me. I was ready to string you up by your balls.”
I wince. “I know how this looks, but I’m not attracted to Zoe because she’s young, or I think I can mold her into something I want.”
Jules waves her hand at me. “I know you’re not. My daughter is as stubborn as they come, a trait she unfortunately inherited from me. You’re good for her.”
I smile down at my sleeping wife, snuggled into my arms. “I don’t know how to convince her I’m not going to leave her.”
Jules smiles sadly. “You show her over time by staying. No matter how hard she tries to push you away, you stay.”
I nod. That’s something I can do. “Tomorrow night, Titan’s throwing a party to celebrate our acquisition of Rev Sports. You and Stone should come. I can put you on the guest list.”
“It’s been a while since my husband and I have had a reason to dress up. That sounds lovely. It will give us time to get to know you better.”
“And you’ll get a chance to meet my daughter.”
“I’d like that.” She glances at her watch. “It’s getting late. You should stay here tonight. Then tomorrow, you can take Zoe home.”
I stop her when she gets to the door. “Thanks.”
She nods. “Welcome to the family. . . son.”
“Does that mean I should call you mom?” I tease.
She flares her nostrils. “Not if you want to live,” she jokes.
“Fair enough.”
Now I just have to get Calla to accept Zoe, and everything will be the way it should be. Too bad that’s proven to be easier said than done so far.