42. Luke
CHAPTER 42
Luke
Gigi and I walk hand in hand into the hotel room that Jakub booked for us. I’m not going to lie, I invited him to my commencement ceremony out of courtesy. I thought it was something that would make Gigi happy and I didn’t think for a second he’d come, let alone book us a hotel room as a graduation present.
“I know how it is when you have a little kid,” Jakub whispers in my ear before easing back. “No alone time with the partner. Let us take care of Ethan and Gwen. We’ll be on the same floor if anything happens.”
“It’s very generous of you, but I can’t take this.” The key card has a logo of the most expensive hotel in Ravensfield. The one on the town border, tucked away in the hills where the rich locals live. “And I can’t ask you and Michelle to take care of the kids. Gigi doesn’t like to be away from them for too long.”
“Gigi suggested this. And I want to spend time with my grandkids, Luke. I don’t see them enough as it is.”
“Gigi suggested this?” I cock an eyebrow in disbelief. There is just no fucking way.
“Yeah. I asked her what to gift you and she said a staycation. I think she was joking, but it’s brilliant, really. We did this once for her when she graduated from primary school,” he answers proudly with a smile. “Bianca and I were too broke and too busy to take her to Disneyland like she wanted, but Gigi really wanted to go on a holiday, so we booked a hotel room in New York and spent the weekend there instead.”
“And Gigi’s okay with you guys taking the twins?”
Jakub breathes out a hearty chuckle. “Now that one took a little coaxing. I might’ve guilt-tripped her a little bit during dinner.”
“What was your ammunition?”
“That my little princess let her stepbrother get her pregnant and didn’t want to have a Catholic wedding.”
My father-in-law’s expression is back to business now. Not a lot scares me, but this guy fucking does. I see it clearly now that this is less of a graduation present for me and more of a way to get Gigi and I out of the way so he could spend some quality time with his grandchildren. I can’t find it in me to be mad at him for manipulating us. This is more effort than my own father ever put in to see Gwen and Ethan.
“Thank you for the gift.” I nod. “I appreciate it.”
“Now make yourself useful and make me a third grandkid. Being a young grandpa looks good on me.”
If he only knew his daughter and I haven’t had sex in months. The only place my sperm goes to nowadays is into crumpled-up tissue paper.
“Do you like it?” Gigi asks from behind me, her voice unsure.
I rest our duffle bags on the floor and my eyes do a quick sweep of the room. The last time I stayed at a hotel was before Becca was born. We drove to Boulder and stayed there for a week. In comparison to where we’re staying tonight, that place might as well have been a shack.
I’m trying my best to keep it cool, and this might be normal in all hotels, but I can’t help that my jaw is slack. They have floor- to-ceiling windows giving us a glimpse of the green hills sitting directly next to the building. The bed is so big, I’m sure five people fit on it. The loveseat in the corner looks like it costs more than our monthly rent.
“How did your dad afford this?” The last time I checked, firefighters don’t make that much.
Gigi just shrugs. “He’s the assistant chief now.”
“You never told me that.”
“He told you himself during the Thanksgiving dinner we had. He said he just got promoted.”
I tuned out a lot of the conversation after Gigi said yes to marrying me that night. My bad for not getting the memo. “I guess I might’ve missed that bit,” I mutter.
Circling around me, Gigi sits at the edge of the bed with her palms planted on either side of her hips. “I got you a graduation present, too.”
“Yeah?” I take a seat next to her, our shoulders grazing. “What did you get me?”
Opening her purse, she pulls out a white business card. “I got you a therapy appointment with one of my professors.”
I take the card from her with a hesitant grip. The name Dr. Martina Gonzalez, her address, opening times, and contact details are printed on there. When I flip the card around, next to the practice’s logo, 28th of May, ten o’clock is handwritten in black ink.
“I…I really think you can benefit from it,” Gigi continues when I don’t say anything, too stunned. Therapy was something I never thought about. People in my family don’t really do this kind of thing. “I’ve been feeling better from my own sessions, and I thought…you know, you’ve been through a lot. More than me. It might do you some good to talk to someone about it.”
“We don’t have the money for the both of us going to therapy.”
As much as I’d love to entertain the idea, it’s just not in the budget. We’re practically blowing through cash with all the lawyer fees dealing with Uncle Mike trying to fight me and Bianca for custody. And now, I don’t know what’s going to happen. It was one thing saving up for Gigi and the twins, but four mouths to feed, with Becca soon added to the list, on one full-time income until Gigi has time to work again? I’d be a fool to waste any penny on something else other than the basic necessities and to save up.
“She’d do it pro bono.”
I feel my jaw tighten. “We’re not taking her charity, Gi.”
“No, no, no,” Gigi answers quickly. “It’s nothing like that. She specializes in childhood trauma. It’s not charity as much as it’s a passion project of hers. She’s really nice.”
“And you think this is a good idea?” The memory of being gossiped about still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I fucking hated that people thought they had the right to talk about my family. I still do.
“I think you pushing me to get some help was the best thing you could’ve done for me. I’m not forcing you to go, but I think it would be great for you.” My eyes snap up to her in shock when she takes my hand in hers. “Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve always walked around with a chip on your shoulder. I w?—”
“I’ll go.” Gigi’s not wrong. My baggage has baggage. I don’t want to live like this. Not with her in my life. Not with my kids in my life.
Her eyes glitter in excitement as her mouth forms a grin. Something I haven’t seen in a while from her. God, she looks fucking gorgeous.
“I want you to be happy, Luke. I’d do anything to make you happy.”
“Anything?” I ask, smirking.
Gigi flashes me a sheepish smile. “Anything.”