Page 25 of Alfie: Part Two

I cocked my head, listening, and I heard it. “It’s probably Dad. He’s called me twice already. Lemme check it real quick.” I wrapped the towel around my hips instead and walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. My phone was there, next to my shorts, on the bed. Sure enough, Dad had called again. Dammit. Three times was one too many to brush off. I called him back as West joined me with another towel.

I dragged it over my head and around my shoulders while I waited for Dad to?—

“Took you long enough, son,” he answered gruffly.

“Sorry, I’m busy reuniting with West,” I replied. West shot me a soft grin. “What’s up, Dad?”

“Uh…you’re back with him, then?” Dad asked, confused.

“Aye, I wore him down.” It was too soon to be smug; I was still high on disbelief and relief, but I’d get there one day.

“Glad to hear it,” Dad responded firmly. Then I heard Ma hollering in the background, something about overreacting…?

I knew them well enough to guess that Dad was in the living room and Mom was in the kitchen. One sat in his ratty leather recliner, and the other was cleaning the cupboards that had never seen a speck of dust.

“What’s she yellin’ about?” I asked.

Dad sighed. “Maybe it’s nothin’. Lemme talk to her again. I’ll call you later.”

“Uh…aight.” I scratched the side of my head. “Yeah, okay.”

He hung up the phone, and I didn’t know what the hell had just happened. He’d called me three fucking times, only to say it might not be anything? Whatever.

“What was that about?” West asked.

“Beats me.” I shrugged and left my phone on the nightstand, right next to where I’d put my stunning watch. “Probably some shit with Mom. Right now, she’s at that stage where she wants to hug me and smack me upside the head at the same time, and my old man is stuck in the middle.”

“I’m very familiar with that stage, sweetheart,” West said wryly.

I beamed at him, filled with a rush of happiness. “All I’m hearing is that baby and sweetheart are back.”

He shook his head in amusement, though I saw too much affection in his eyes for me to buy the “oh, you” act. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he was a pro at that look. He’d given it to me countless times over the years. But right now, he was probably feeling what I was feeling.

Sheer fucking bliss.

Once we’d shed our towels, we met under the covers, and he gathered me close where I belonged. I all but fused myself to his body, and nobody better fucking call me anytime soon. We had what, an hour and a half left, maybe?

“I love you.” I nuzzled his stubbly jaw and kissed him there. Nothing tasted like sunscreen, thank fuck.

He hummed and slipped a hand down to my ass. “I love you more.”

Un-fucking-likely.

“All mine again,” he whispered. “I’m never letting you go, Alfie.”

I shuddered and buried my face against his neck. Fuck, it was indescribable. He loved me, he was giving me a second chance, it was us again, he was never letting me go. My eyesburned behind closed lids, and it felt like my chest was going to explode. Emotions surged and rushed through me, and I was overwhelmed by a million doses of aloe that worked to mend every break caused by grief and despair.

I didn’t fucking know how to live without that pain anymore. It was bizarre. Almost as if my body tried to search for the hurt, somewhere deep inside, because it’d been my normal for years. But there was no hurt.

Fear, on the other hand… Not a truckload, just enough to tighten my stomach a bit and make me swear to do everything for us.

Shannon had told me his strategy beforehand and what he was going to bring up, so I knew he’d been fairly frank with West. He’d been honest and straightforward to the point where I could really believe this could work since West had come home to pull me into his arms. He’d listened to Shan’s words. He’d processed admissions about the Sons of Munster. He definitely knew the Sons were everywhere, including on the board at work. He knew. And he was still here, holding me.

No fucking shit, I was overwhelmed. This was crazy. Not to mention brand-new for me. Complete honesty? Shit. It was bonkers. My heart hammered a little faster as I really let that sink in. Openness and honesty had been a pipe dream before. There’d always been something between us, right? Like his old man’s bullshit—when he’d warned me and said he knew of my relation to John Murray. And now?—

“Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours,” West murmured.

I took a deep breath and slipped a hand up his chest. “A sense of relief I’ve never felt before.” I cleared my throat and kissed the spot below his ear. “Just the fact that I can be completely honest with you… I can’t describe how freeing that is.” I kissed my way up his neck and cheek, and he gave my ass a squeeze that floodedme with urgency. “I swear I’ll always be myself, papi. No more hiding. No more fucking up?—”

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