Page 121 of The Bonus

Leave us the hell alone.

“You’re quiet,” Deb says from beside me. “You okay?”

I glance over to see Gabriel walk up the stairs and take a seat in the front row of chairs.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” I sigh. “I just have the feeling that my whole world is falling apart.”

Gabriel turns and looks around for me, our eyes lock and we stare at each other for a beat as something swirls between us.

I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is.

“Maybe your world isn’t falling apart,” Deb replies as her eyes linger on Gabriel, “Maybe it’s falling into place.”

16

Grace

“Are you serious?” I snap.

“Stop whining about him being in your house. He’s trying to do the right thing and came to say goodbye in person. He could have just gone to court and gotten an order to take them to New York just like you thought he would. You told him it’s all or nothing, your words and not his. He’s obviously thought long and hard about this and realized the fact that he can’t be there for the kids as much as they need him and is graciously stepping aside. I know it’s not the decision you hoped for, but you are the one who did the whole ridiculous all-or-nothing scenario.”

“Because I don’t want my kids to be here waiting for him all the time while he’s in New York with his new kids while totally ignoring them. They are happy now; they want for nothing.”

“I get it. I really do.” Deb sighs as her eyes go back down to him. “And he does too. He’s thinking of their needs before his own and trying to do things the right way, at least give him some credit for that.”

“What about the invasion of my privacy?” I widen my eyes. “Huh?”

“Don’t blame him for you leaving your dildo around.” She widens her eyes back.

“Mom.” Lucia comes running up the stairs toward me all excited. “Gabriel is here.”

My stomach flips with fury at her excitement. “Is he?” My eyes roam down to the front row and I can see the back of him as he sits and watches, his broad shoulders, they stand out from a mile.

“Can I go and sit with him?” she begs as she jumps on the spot.

I fake a smile. “Sure.”

“Yay.” She skips down to the front row and shimmies along the seats until she gets to him. I watch on as she taps him on the shoulder. He smiles broadly when he sees her and then moves his jacket from the seat to make room for her to sit down beside him. He says something and she smiles goofily up at him, her excitement that he’s here is palpable. I watch their interaction with my heart in my throat.

“How could you ever be sad about that?” Deb says. “Look how happy she is.”

“He’s leaving.”

“I know.”

“So how is her getting to know him doing anyone any good? This is a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Let him have his hour with them. He will be back in New York tonight and they will never see him again.”

“True.” I sigh. “I just don’t get why he wanted to come in person to say goodbye. If he’s leaving, just do it by text. Don’t put us through it.”

Deb raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “They are not just your kids, you do know that, right?”

The game goes on and on, but my mind is a mile away. My gaze keeps dropping down to Gabriel and Lucia talking and laughing as they watch, and I hate to admit it, but I’m livid that Lucia is awestruck by his nice-guy act.

I’m your mom, have some fricken loyalty kid.

“That was a great game,” Deb says.

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