Page 70 of Embrace Me Forever

But Coco isn’t ready to switch. “I want Black,” she declares with innocent fervor.

Georgia-May and I laugh.

“Okay, then, I’ll leave you two be,” Georgia-May concedes with a smile. “Blake, tea?”

“Yes, please,” I respond as Georgia-May heads to the kitchen.

“Love you,” Coco whispers to me, pressing a kiss from her tiny hand to my cheek. Almost instantly, she rests her head against my shoulder, and sleep claims her.

“I love you too, sweetheart.” I kiss her on the crown.

She’s oblivious now, but I wonder what her reaction will be upon waking. It hasn’t escaped me that her friends have vanished as swiftly as they entered her life. The quicker we resolve the issue with Bertram, the sooner we can return to normalcy. It’s time for me to take the lead in hunting them down.

I move into the living room, treading lightly to keep her asleep and notice Georgia-May by the door. She’s given me space to handle Coco on my own, cementing my role as the undeniable daddy, even though the cheeky girl has stopped calling me that.

The hallway light casts a soft glow on Georgia-May, accentuating the shadows beneath her tired eyes. She looks as though she’s been battling more than mere fatigue all day.

She signals for me to follow her to the living room, where a pot of green tea is waiting. She has a special knack for making it, always getting the temperature and strength just right. I’ve set Poppy on ‘listening’ mode, effectively turning her into a toddler speaker system. Any sound she picks up, she’s programmed to alert us.

“What a week.” I sigh, sinking into the couch.

“It was magical. Seeing Anne again—that was amazing.” She rests her head on my shoulder. “Guess what she called you?”

“What?” I brace for some hilariously harsh nickname.

“She said you were a saint.”

The comment catches me off guard, and her seriousness makes me a little uncomfortable. “I’m in her good books now, huh? But you know I’m far from that,” I concede, my thought wondering. “You haven’t told her about?—”

“No, I promised you I wouldn’t tell anyone,” she affirms.

I thank her with a silent nod.

“Anne only sees how you are with me and Coco. Your past is no concern to her. Besides, she’s always had a soft spot for you,” she adds, snuggling closer. “You know, Rob, Clay, Isabelle, and Amber—they really restored my faith in humanity. I mean, you’ve always been there for us, but to see everyone else stepping up, too? It’s like a group hug for my soul.”

Hearing that feels like getting a hug from an angel.

We share a silent peace, simply holding each other. Yet, even in this fleeting moment of peace, I find myself unable to resist slipping into solution mode, disturbed by the injustice of a man somewhere pulling the strings, encroaching on our lives.

Breaking the quiet, I start, “We need to talk about Bertram. Handling his henchmen is one thing, but stopping him for good is crucial. He’s driven by a massive ego, and I need to be close enough to really understand him. To find his weak spots.”

“I agree, but you’re not suggesting…”

“I’m considering a trip to London.”

“No, Blake. There has to be another way.”

“Then how, Georgia-May?”

Her shoulders sag in frustration and resignation. “I don’t know right now. Can we shelve that plan for a bit?”

A twinge of guilt hits me, realizing I’ve ventured into heavy territory too soon. What was I thinking? We were just beginning to relax. I say apologetically, “You’re right. Let’s enjoy our break.”

She inhales deeply, her expression conflicted. “Look, Blake, I understand the need to deal with Bertram, but there’s another matter pressing on me. It’s about Sebastian.”

I hum, acknowledgingherneed. She had once mentioned that Sebastian was Coco’s father, and he had passed away before she was born. Perhaps it was the fear of what she might reveal next, but I realize that in my eagerness for a fresh start, a clean slate, I never stopped to ask for more. Never questioned the story.

She shifts in her seat, her haze lowering to the floor as though seeking the right words in the wood patterns. “Sebastian was my first, the only one I’ve truly been with before you. We met through gaming, but it wasn’t long before I realized he saw me for who I am, not who I was pretending to be.”

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