Page 147 of Deceit

“I’m sorry,” she mutters, her once excited features vanished and replaced with remorseful ones. “Please don’t ignore me. I know it’s been—”

“I’m not, I—“

“You are,” she quickly counters. “I know this isn’t…” She sighs. “Listen, I told you before, we’re family. I know you didn’t choose me, but I care about you. I would never in a million—“

“I’m going to go smoke,” I convey, jerking my head to the elevators behind me. It’s the only excuse I can come up with for her to let me go and shut up. “I’ll be back.”

She seems to relax and nods, following me with those magnificent browns. “Okay, I’ll be here.”

Awesome.

Because I lied.

I don’t go back.

I go home.

Stormi gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with dark curls and chunky little cheeks. They named her Briar Grey and she’s everything a set of parents could ask for.

Happiness radiated off all of us as a group but, again, Bishop wasn’t there to celebrate and Marty noticed.

It took a small deal to calm him down, but I covered and said he wasn’t feeling too well.

I’ve been spending as much time with Marty and Stormi, taking shifts to make sure they get some sleep and help do minor things around the house.

For the most part, Briar is on a two-hour schedule with wanting to eat and she hates being bundled up, enjoying her feet poking from the bottom of her blanket.

Stormi is the calmer of the two—shocker—when Briar cries, Marty is like a rocket to check and assume something is always wrong.

After two weeks, he’s beginning to get the hang of it. Usually, he is quick to learn but with Briar, he’s meticulous and doubtful that he will do something reprehensible or worse.

Bishop drops by to see Briar when I’m not there, but my visits are becoming far and in between because Alexander and I have been busy planning our own nest. And I’m overwhelmed and nervous. Marty is rubbing off on me.

“Emmy!” Alexander’s voice ricochets out in my living room.

“Over here!” I hear him start towards me on the hardwood floors and to the second bedroom that I plan on making the nursery. “Be careful coming in, I have shit everywhere.”

“Do you ever stop?” I glance over to see his shoulder propped along the doorway, arms crossed as he watches me folding baby clothes that we’ve bought already.

He doesn’t look angry but exasperated that I can’t seem to chill for five seconds.

I shrug against his scolding and the sexy navy suit he’s wearing. “All I can think about is paint colors and how I don’t want them to be pastel. I want something…I don’t know. I thought maybe coming in here would help inspire me.”

“Did it help?”

I wrinkle my nose and pick up another onesie, carefully folding it into its new place. “No.”

“Babe, we still have time.” Alexander moves, striding over boxes and bags. “Did you eat?”

“Um…yeah, some time ago.”

Hours ago.

“How about I order something and you chill on the baby stuff tonight.” Long arms wrap around my stomach from behind me and nestle me into Alexander’s body.

“Does that chilling start now or when the food gets here?”

Alexander chuckles and kisses my temple. “You’re a pain in the ass.”

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