“Thanks for ruining our fucking weekend.”
“If anyone ruined anything—a weekend, a relationship—it was you, Rick Hart, and you’ll have to live with that,” Autumn spat at him. “You will be completely alone one day, and then what?”
“Whatever, lady. You watch—when I win, I’ll make sure you never see her again.”
Autumn took a step toward him. “Bring it, asshole.”
Rick laughed, stepping back as Lucy clung to River, crying so hard, it hurt everywhere. As Lucy watched Rick drive off, Angie looked back at them, her little tears falling as she waved slowly.
It was enough to make Lucy wish she were dead.
It was almost midnight when Benji FaceTimed her.
When she hit answer and the little box of herself appeared in the corner, she could see she looked like death. Her face was red and swollen; she had cried until she couldn’t cry anymore, and her heart just ached.
“Hey, baby,” he whispered and she tried to smile, but nothing moved. No, she was frozen in a state of turmoil. “It didn’t go well?”
“No,” she answered, shaking her head as she rubbed her face against his pillow. “He tried to yank her away from me, Benji. And she clung to me, crying for me not to make her go. I couldn’t do anything. I just cried and, River, bless him, he was holding me, telling me it was okay, but it wasn’t. It was horrible.”
Benji’s brow furrowed as he shook his head. “I’m sure you handled it like a boss, but still, I’m so sorry, baby.”
A certain kind of calm washed over her, her heart slowing a bit as she nodded. “She was so strong, though. She let me go and she went of her own accord.”
“Of course, she did. She’s your child.”
“She is,” she agreed, wiping away a tear. “I hate him so much, Benji. You know where he is going for Christmas?”
“Where?”
“To Disney World, but he can’t afford to take Angie.”
Benji scoffed. “Thought he had all kinds of money.”
“Apparently not.”
“That piece of shit. Whatever, that’s fine. We’ll take her to Disney World, and you better believe I’ll make sure she sleeps in Cinderella’s castle.”
Lucy smirked. “Only, like, celebrities can sleep in there.”
He made a face. “I’m a professional athlete. Don’t you worry, I’ll get us up there.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “You’re crazy.”
“About you, I know,” he said with a wink and her heart fluttered. Shaking his head, he curved his lips as he whispered, “I don’t know how I am going to make it until tomorrow. To see you.”
“I don’t either.”
“It will be hard.”
“But we’ll make it.”
“Yup,” he agreed, lying back in his bed, his hair falling in his face. “Are you at my house?”
She shrugged, a grin pulling at her lips. “Yeah, I didn’t want to go home and have Baylor be all over me as I cried.”
“Yeah, I mean, you can move in tomorrow if you want.”
She rolled her eyes. “Anyway…great game.”
He chuckled as his lips turned up in a big grin. “I got four penalties ’cause every dude I saw was Rick.”
“That’s awesome in my opinion.”
He laughed as he nodded. “I guess. Your brother was just as bad. Apparently your mom called all the boys, crying ’cause you wouldn’t answer the phone. She told Jayden you were so strong and she was so proud of you and Angie, but he didn’t give me details.”
“She was great, but she did try to make me come home with her and River. Had to get out of that quick.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, you’ve seen enough family members having sex.”
“Right? Gosh,” she said as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I have such a headache and I’m so tired.”
“Go to bed. Or better yet, go take a bath.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to move, and I also don’t want to drop my phone in the bathtub.”
He grinned. “Shoot, I was hoping to see you naked,” he said with a wink, and she smiled back.
“Perv.”
“Only on days that end in ‘Y.’”
Rolling her eyes, she laughed. Leaning back into the pillows, she smiled as she held his gaze. She missed him so much and couldn’t wait for him to be home. Clearing her throat, she said what she had been thinking about like mad when she wasn’t thinking about killing Rick. “I was pretty surprised to hear Angie tell you she loved you.”
He smiled, his face brightening before her eyes. God, he was so beautiful when he looked at her like that. “That girl. Man, she has my heart.”
Grinning, Lucy nodded. “And I think you have hers.”
She wanted to tell him he had her heart. That she loved him. But she wanted to do it in person. She wanted to feel his skin under her fingers as she whispered the words. She wanted to see his eyes get brighter, feel his kisses after he whispered the words back to her. Because she was pretty sure he was in love with her too. No, she knew he was, and it was insane and crazy, but he was her insane and crazy. And she loved him.
With everything inside of her.
“I hope so. I promise, Lucy, I just want to do right by you guys.”
“You are,” she said, her throat thick with emotion.