Page 109 of His Greatest Treasure

“You will fix it, Avery. He’s not a threat to you. I’m positive about that.”

“I always knew he wouldn’t let me be happy. He has a way of making everything about himself. It was all about Chris for years, and now that I’ve found someone who’s made me happy for the first time in years, he’s taking it all away from me,” she says weakly.

“He isn’t taking anything from you. Especially not Nova.”

Her eyes are wet with tears when she asks on a breath, “What about you?”

“Never me,” I declare.

Saying fuck you to the space she’s placed between us, I move closer. She doesn’t retreat, but the slight stiffening in her limbs is a sign as bad as any I’ve ever seen.

“He could fight me for custody. I have the financial resources for a legal battle, but when it comes to everything else? I’m not emotionally ready for that. Nova doesn’t need to live through that either.”

“Yes, you are. You’re strong and you’re brave and resilient. And I’m here. Just say the word and everything I have is yours. Every single thing already is, Avery. Let me be here for you. Share this weight with me. With my family and our friends.”

It’s desperate and not anything I anticipated to do in this lifetime, but I lay it out on the line for her without a single regret. There’s no going back for me. Only forward, either with her or without.

“I’m no one’s charity case. I don’t need?—”

“Don’t say that you don’t need help. I already know you don’tneedit. I’m saying you can have it if youwantit. Not everything has to be about necessity and can be about what will make your life easier. Let me help you, baby. I really, really fucking want to.”

She lifts her chin, something unsaid solidifying her resolve. “I’m not ready to accept it yet. I’ve got to try and settle this on my own first.”

“How do you want to do that?”

“Chris needs to know that he can’t come here and stomp all over me. He’s not allowed to discard us and then come back whenever he pleases to snatch us back up and stuff us in his pocket.”

“You’re right.”

“But I want to do it on my own. If I don’t, he’ll think he’s won, and I won’t give him that satisfaction.”

I nod, but it’s a slow, laggy movement. “Okay.”

“It won’t be for very long, but once I’ve taken care of Chris, we’ll be able to come back together. You and me and Nova, we can be a family . . .”

I stop listening, not wanting to hear the rest of her sentence. It’s obvious what she was about to say. What she wants.

“Oliver?”

“I don’t want you to do this on your own. Without support again,” I mutter.

“As soon as you’ve done it once, you can do it a million times.”

Frustrated, I blow out a breath. “I’m not going to complicate anything for you while you do this. I don’t understand why we need to wait to be together until you’ve, what? Taken him tocourt? Dealt with a lengthy legal process against him all on your own?” I ask, fighting tooth and nail to keep my voice even instead of booming with the fear and nervousness building in my chest.

“If that’s what it takes. I don’t know. You’re just . . . you make me want to forget about everything else other than you, me, and Nova. A family like that can’t thrive with someone like Chris constantly swinging threats and bringing chaos into our lives. I want to start a life without looking over my shoulder for him, Oliver. But I have to focus, and you’re the biggest, greatest distraction I’ve ever known.

“You deserve better than the baggage I bring. I’m putting you first, the way you always fight to do for me. Please, let me.”

“Nova is not baggage. Chris is your past, but he isn’t baggage either,” I argue, taking her cheeks in my hands and bringing our faces a breath apart. “I don’t want to spend a single day without you at my side or waiting to come back home to you after work. Don’t make this decision for the both of us.”

Her smile is soft yet so fucking sad. “I’m a mom, Oliver. Making the tough decisions when no one else wants to and bearing the weight of them is my specialty.”

“I love you,” I say, the three words thick with clarity and vivid honesty.

I’ve never spoken them to a woman like this before, but nothing has ever been easier. It’s been a long time coming.

She kisses me, lips tasting faintly like salt. “I love you too.”

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