Page 75 of One Love

Good enough for me.

Walking in through a canopy of trees, we are met with the Belt Parkway lighting up the Mill Basin water. It still takes my breath away, if I’m honest. Nothing wrong with a little quiet and beautiful view.

“Millionaire’s Row? Really? I thought you lived closer to the casino in some apartment?”

How do I say this?

“I did but it wasn’t family friendly.” There, I put it all out there.

“This is definitely better than an apartment.” Hallie’s jumping around, touching everything from the outdoor oven to the chairs and umbrellas, even dipping her toe in the salt-water pool.

“You know, bribing Hallie to get to me isn’t going to work.”

“Oh, it might work, Mom. Seriously. I could live here allllllll day.”

Is it possible to do a Christmas in July just for Hallie?

“This is going to be my Hell for all the wrongs I’ve done, isn’t it?”

Hallie and I both roll our eyes in the most dramatic way possible and, just like that, we’re allies and my next surprise suddenly doesn’t seem so scary.

By the time we visit six of the seven—yes, seven, and I’m not even ashamed—bedrooms, the huge motherfucking kitchen where I plan to spread J out like a fucking feast for my mouth, and the ridiculous amount of bathrooms in this place, we finally come to the pièce de resistance.

“Ta da!” Making a grand gesture of opening the last bedroom door is met with the most satisfying gasp I’ve ever heard that didn’t have anything to do with Jordyn’s thighs or tits or ass or…fuck, focus, man.

“This is for me?” Hallie walks in, her bed in a sort of mezzanine with every wall below covered in built-in bookshelves.

“Yes,Myška, it’s all for you.“ I didn’t even need to search out that little gem of a nickname. It came so naturally that I know it’s perfect.

“What is that?” Hallie pulls back, eyes darting from my scarred eye to the other, curiosity etched all over her features.

“My little Myška, my little mouse.” Okay, so now I’m nervous.

“My little mouse…Meee-sh-ka.” Hallie reproduces my Czech accent almost perfectly. Fuck, my chest burns with pride and love for this kid. “Yeah, I like that one. Thank you for all this, D. It means so much.”

Before J sold Murphy’s house, I made sure we got all of her books to safety. And by safety, I mean here, in her new bedroom. Although the setup isn’t exactly the way Murphy had built it with two bedrooms meshed into one, this one is one giant space that she can decorate herself, but at least her books are already there. Her other personal belongings, she already has at Marco’s place. When I said I didn’t want to replace her father, I wasn’t lying. No one could, he was an incredible man who didn’t deserve his fate, but I will honor his memory by caring for her as though she were mine. I may not have known him but I’m pretty sure he’d be okay with that.

With tears gleaming in her pretty hazel eyes, Hallie throws herself at me and hugs me so tightly I almost lose my breath. My tatted arms look so strange next to her pale, flawless skin that I’m reminded of how precious she is, how vulnerable. Life hasn’t finished throwing her curve balls, but that’s okay, we’ll be here to teach her how to hit those motherfuckers and turn them into a homerun.

Together, like a real family, we make some popcorn before I lead them to the basement where the Play Cave is set up, giant screen and all, and we’re finally ready to start theStar Warsmarathon. I’m many things, but a quitter, I am not.

An hour and a half later, Hallie’s asleep, her light snores a testament to how conked out she is.

“I’ll take her to bed, wait for me in the bedroom?” Leaning forward, I curl my fingers in J’s hair, pulling her toward me just as the droid army is completely shut down. Our kiss is lit up by the LED of the television, our mouths sliding smoothly together, tongues dancing without an ounce of pressure or danger or darkness.

No, tonight we taste normality and I can’t wait to bury myself so deep inside her that when I pull out, a fraction of her soul stays with me.

Following J as she helps Hallie up the stairs, my mind begins wandering about, planning and plotting, contemplating how many times I can make her come before she passes out from pure exhaustion.

From this vantage point, my shoulder propped up on the door jamb with the entire view of the bedroom available to me, I’m not ashamed of my stalkerish tendencies. Seeing J embrace her role as a mother is a beautiful thing, a pure and unfiltered side of her that she didn’t even know she possessed.

Hallie had brought her backpack with her, all her sleepover necessities included just in case they didn’t like the house and we’d have to return to Marco’s and buy another one in the morning. To be fair, I’m glad they—well, Hallie—loves the house because turning it over now would probably cost me a pretty penny.

Just as she places her things on the dresser, I step away and close the door behind me, offering them their privacy as I make my way to our bedroom.

Minutes later, with my hands flat against the off-white tiles and my head hanging between my arms, I revel in the perfection of this water pressure washing off the hot, humid stench of the New York minute. That’s when I feel, more than see, my little demon step into the large Italian shower and wrap her long, strong arms around my torso, pressing her entire front against my soaked back.

“Hmm, nothing better than feeling you skin on skin.” She squeezes me just a little tighter before she finally speaks.

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