That was a happy scream? I thought she was being murdered.
The two girls can抰 stop shrieking and my eardrums hurt. 揕adies,?I interrupt, 揹o you mind if we head over to my house??
Salem lets go of her best friend.
Lauren is tall with dark hair and tan skin. She抯 Salem抯 complete opposite, at least in looks, I can抰 say anything about her personality.
揙h, look,?she looks me up and down for emphasis, 搃t抯 Baby Daddy.?
Salem busts out laughing while I shake my head.
揝eda抯 sleeping, come on,?I encourage.
Salem grabs Lauren抯 hand, dragging her with her. 揟hayer, grab Lauren抯 bag from her car will you??
With a sigh, I unload the massively large suitcase from the back of the rental and wheel it behind me.
The girls?excited chatter grows softer as we approach my house since Seda is still asleep on the couch. I take Lauren抯 suitcase upstairs and put it in the first guestroom. It has an attached bath which I抦 sure she抣l prefer.
When I get back downstairs, I find both of them in the kitchen drinking wine with Salem gushing over a diamond ring on Lauren抯 finger. Salem hears me approach, looking over her shoulder with a smile. I抦 glad Lauren came. She needs a friend during this time to help lift her spirits.
揌i, Baby Daddy,?Lauren says again. 揑t抯 nice to finally meet you.?
Salem stifles her laughter. She抯 a little too amused at her friend抯 nickname for me.
I hold a hand out to Lauren. 揑t抯 nice to meet you, too.?
She shakes my hand, squeezing a little tighter than necessary. 揌urt my bestie again and I have diplomatic immunity in six countries.?
Salem snorts. 揇on抰 listen to her.?
Lauren releases my hand. 揑 mean it.?She points a warning finger at me. 揟he minute you make her cry again梱ou抮e out.?She makes a slicing motion across her throat. 揑抳e seen Dexter.?
揕auren,?Salem admonishes with a giggle. To me she says, 揝he抯 not serious.?
揕ike hell I am,?Lauren grumbles.
Some guys might be turned off by Lauren抯 forward defensiveness, but I抦 glad Salem has someone like her. Lauren has every right to be wary of me. I did break Salem抯 heart.
揧ou ladies have fun. I抦 going to grab a water and carry Seda up to bed.?I smack a kiss on Salem抯 cheek. 揇on抰 get into too much trouble. I抦 not sure I have enough bail money.?
Lauren makes a yikes face and whisper hisses, 揑f he doesn抰 have money for bail you better run now.?
揕auren!?Salem playfully slaps her friend抯 arm.
Leaving them to their antics, I scoop Seda up off the couch and into my arms. She wiggles a bit and I still, praying she stays asleep. Luckily, she keeps snoozing. Upstairs, I lay her down in the other guestroom, carefully pulling the covers back and up over her.
I can抰 help but take a second to look at her.
It抯 unreal how perfect she is. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this is my daughter. I have a little girl. My heart feels full for the first time in a long time.
Before Krista and I knew Forrest was a boy, I couldn抰 imagine myself having a daughter. I knew I抎 be happy either way, but I hoped for a boy. I knew I could handle that. Being a boy dad would be easy. I抎 had a brother and always done traditional guy things.
When Salem told me she抎 had our child, a girl, there was no disappointment in any way. Seda is a gift, one I didn抰 know I even deserved. This little girl was created from the true love Salem and I have梐 tether to always tie us together and bring us back.
Smoothing her hair off her forehead, I tell her I love her and slip out of the room I fully plan to redecorate from the generic furniture I put in there for the rare occasions I have visitors.
I don抰 know how much time has passed when Salem gets into bed. She snuggles up to me, pressing her cold toes against my legs. I crack an eye open.
揟hat was mean,?I joke.
She wiggles her toes. 揑 need you to warm them up.?She puts her hand on my cheek. 揑抦 sorry about Lauren,?she whispers, then hiccups. 揟oo much wine, me thinks.?With another hiccup she adds, 揝he means well.?
揝he loves you. I like that she抯 protective of you.?
Salem smiles. 揝he really is a great friend. Can you believe she抯 getting married? He抯 a billionaire too. Yeah, with a B. Billionaire. Lauren would fall in love with a rich guy. She gets to live out all her billionaire romance lover dreams now.?She slaps her hand over her mouth, stifling a yawn. 揑抦 drunk and rambling.?She giggles.
Tracing my finger over her lips, I say, 揟here抯 something I want to talk to you about.?
Her eyes widen. 揙h no. Am I in trouble? I swear I抦 not that drunk.?
揧ou抮e not in trouble, baby. But it抯 not something I want to talk about when you抮e drunk and sleepy.?
揑n the morning then??
揑n the morning,?I promise.
Wrapping my arms around her, she rests her head on my chest just when I think she抯 asleep, her tears wet my skin.
揝unshine,?I whisper, holding her closer.
揝he抯 gone, Thayer. She抯 really gone,?she sobs. 揑抦 never going to see my mom again.?
I press my lips to the top of her head and say, 揑抦 here. If you want to cry, scream, whatever you need to do, I抳e got you.?
And so she just cries, because sometimes that抯 the only thing you can do.
CHAPTER 34
SALEM
Waking up, I press a hand to my pounding temple. I drank way too much wine last night. I didn抰 mean to, but I stayed up late chatting with Lauren, catching up, and frankly just trying to forget about the events of the day. Since I抦 not a big drinker it抯 caught up to me this morning.
Not to mention my eyes are practically swollen shut from crying myself to sleep.
My mom is really gone.
I can抰 walk next-door and see her.
I can抰 call her and hear her voice.
I抦 never going to hear her laugh again or see her smile.
Rolling out of bed桾hayer抯 bed桰 stumble into the bathroom. There抯 a separate space for the toilet so I relieve myself梞y bladder damn near bursting梬hile he抯 in the shower.
揟oothpaste,?I mutter to myself, wanting to get rid of the fuzzy feeling in my mouth.
Thayer gets out of the shower, and I shamelessly ogle him in the mirror抯 reflection. My mouth literally waters. I hastily spit out my toothpaste before I make a fool of myself.
Only Thayer has the ability to completely ransack my thoughts and make me forget how sad I am just by looking at him.
Thayer swipes a towel from the rack, wrapping it around his waist.
I whimper as he approaches me, squeezing my legs together. Apparently hungover me turns into horny me.
He wraps his arms around me from behind, kissing the sensitive skin of my neck. I lean back into him, inhaling the scent of his woodsy body wash.
Just being held by him instantly makes me feel better.
Rinsing out my mouth with mouthwash, I spit it back into the sink and then reach for my hairbrush.
揗y drunk memory might be hazy, but I think I remember you wanting to talk about something.?
He leans his hip against the sink. 揑 did.?
揂nd??I prompt, setting my hair brush down.
My mouth waters just looking at him. He really needs to go put some clothes on because Thayer still wet from the shower with only a towel is my kryptonite.
His eyes narrow on me. 揝top looking at me like that.?
揕-Like what??I lick my lips. I can抰 help it, I抦 so insanely attracted to him, and something about my grief has me wanting to be held and loved by him.
揕ike you want me to fuck you.?
I lift my chin defiantly. 揗aybe I do.?