Page 39 of Finding Alexei
“That’s my girl.” I grin down at her, snapping up the buttons on her pink onesie.
The words lodge in my throat. It’s a lie. She’s not my girl. And neither is Ryleigh.
But I intend to find out why, and what the fuck I can do about it.
“Let’s roll, baby.”
I lift her into my arms and head back into the dining room. Once we arrive at the table, I hand her to Ryleigh.
“She smells so much better now.” Ryleigh smiles for the first time since she arrived, and it’s not lost on me.
“She’s perfectly clean,” I say, sitting back down on my side of the booth.
Ryleigh passes me some hand sanitizer, which I gratefully accept, and then her eyebrows pinch together as she looks toward the restroom doors. “Did you change her in the women’s room?”
I shrug. “There wasn’t a changing table in the men’s. Trust me, I’m going to say something to the manager when we leave.”
Ryleigh’s eyes widen and she takes a sip of her coffee, knowing better than to argue with me about this.
A silence descends upon us, and I can’t help but want to cut to the chase—to get to the real reason why we’re here. The waitress provided a nice distraction, and then Ella’s diaper, but I need answers. Plain and simple.
“Can I ask . . . did something happen that made you leave yesterday?”
She sets her coffee mug down and finally meets my eyes. “I got in touch with Andi.”
My heart starts to thump hard. “Yeah? That’s good, right?”
Ella’s still with Ryleigh, though, now seated in the carrier on the booth seat next to her. So, obviously that’s part of whatever is going on. My stomach tightens.
She pauses, running her hands through her hair, stalling for time. “Andi has cancer. She’s dying. And she asked me to be Ella’s legal guardian.”
Wow. That’s a lot to take in. Not at all what I expected. I figured Andi couldn’t handle being a mom and ran off. Fuck, this is so much worse. “What did you say?”
Ryleigh touches a stray lock of her hair that’s escaped her loose ponytail. “I signed the papers. There’s no one else. And the only other option for Ella is that she’d be a ward of the state. I couldn’t bear the thought of abandoning her.”
“I see.” My heart clenches inside my chest. Damn. Ryleigh’s so headstrong. So independent. So sweet. It’s heartbreaking. “Still doesn’t explain why you left.”
Her gaze suddenly snaps up to mine. “I don’t want to burden you. You’ve done enough.”
I feel like I’ve been sucker punched. “You were never a burden to me, Ryleigh. Neither was Ella. You guys were all I thought about when I was gone those two days. And having you both around made me realize what I’ve been missing out on, living the bachelor life. You brought meaning to my days, and even though you’re a pain in the ass,” I smirk at her, “walking into the apartment last night and realizing you both were gone . . . fuck, it almost gutted me. I want you both to come back to my pla— I mean, our place.”
Her mouth presses into a line. “I’d never ask that of you. We hardly know each other, Alexei.”
That’s bullshit, and she knows it. We know all the things that matter. I know what’s in her heart, and she knows mine. Yeah, it’s fast, but when you know, you know. Right? Isn’t that what everyone always says?
But I don’t say any of this. I take a second to compose myself, pulling a deep breath into my lungs. “I know you wouldn’t ask, but I’m offering, Ry. There’s a difference.”
She swallows, still looking down. Still quiet.
Shit. I feel like I’m about to fucking beg her to come back. I’ve never begged a woman in my damn life. But there’s something different about her, about our connection, and I’m not willing to give up on us. This could be the start of something real. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest that she and Ella come as a package deal. The truth is, the baby has grown on me over the past couple of weeks. I want them both in my life.
“I also didn’t want to assume you’d want to date someone with a baby. Pre-made family and all. Before, we both thought this was me temporarily watching Ella. Now, she’s all mine, no take-backs, no returns.”
“I’m a big boy. I can decide what I want, Ryleigh.”
Her mouth twitches. “And what do you want?”
I lean closer. “I’m looking at it. I’ve never wanted two women in my life more than I do right now.”
Ryleigh gives me a doubtful glance like she doesn’t truly believe me, but she doesn’t say a word. Our food is delivered before I have a chance to say anything else, and we dig in together.
