Page 64 of Falling for You

I shake my head and state, “No, Pen’s place hasn’t been touched yet to be sold, we’ll go there,” before I finally look at my girl.

She nods without me having to say anything. She can see I’m ready to break, so gently, she slides off the bed. I help her as Ezra grabs her things, and without saying a thing to Doctor Pretty, I help Pen out of the room.

“Can she leave?” I hear asked, and I look up to see Avery and Carl, both with concerned faces.

I nod and state, “Yeah, I’m taking her to the condo until the penthouse is back to normal,” leaving no arguments before Iturn and bend. I wrap an arm around Pen’s waist, then another behind her legs before picking her up bridal style.

She gasps, “Taylor, I can walk,” but I ignore her and look at Dad, who has Hudson. He nods, and I know he’ll follow me while Ezra states, “I’ll ride your bike, Tay; you can drive my truck,” I give him a grateful nod and wait for Dad to walk in front of me, but I growl as Avery tries to take Hudson from him and I state, “Hudson is coming home with us, his parents,” causing Avery to scowl at me.

She opens her mouth to argue, but Carl pulls her back, knowing there is no place my son will be tonight where his mother and I aren’t. I get Avery has been there after Pen gave birth, but I’m in the picture now, meaning, she needs to focus on herself, not my family and I may sound like a dick but for weeks, I have had to put up with Avery messaging me telling me when she will have my son and what he likes acting like I have no idea how to care for my son. Enough is enough. She’s not his mother, she’s his aunt and she needs to back off before I fucking snap.

“She’s definitely going to be in jail?” I confirm in a low tone.

My dad replies, “She’ll get at least four years for the attack, add on break-in and vandalism, she should get at least another year, maybe a year and a half longer. Then there’s the threats to her clients if they don’t screw her so she’s looking at least seven years maybe and when she does get out, she won’t be allowed anywhere near you, Pen, Hudson or any clients she represented.”

I sigh and run a hand through my hair as I lean my arms on my knees, holding the phone to my ear.

I’m sitting on Pen’s old couch while she and our son sleep peacefully in the bedroom. When we got back from the hospital Pen’s phone rang off the hook. Her sister was pissed because I wouldn’t allow her to come back with us, and I fucking snapped. Hudson was in his highchair playing with some pureed food, andI was finally calming down until I overheard her words, which could have damaged my career if she had said them in public.

“Seriously, Penelope, he knows I come before him, meaning you and Hudson should have come to my house. He, God Pen, I think you need to leave him; he acted just like Harry!”

I tense hearing Averys words from where I sit near Hudson, and I look at Pen whose mouth is parted with shock.

Her sister did not just fucking compare me to her abusive ex-husband all because my family came home with me!Myfucking family, not hers!

“Avery, how dare you?!” Pen snaps, but before she can say anything else, I take the phone from my girl and go off, “I understand you’re upset, Avery, but you comparing me to an abusive prick is out of fucking line, especially when you know I’d rather die than lay a finger on Penelope,” Pens eyes soften, and I continue, “My girl, the woman I love was attacked while our son was in the car asleep. If I say I’m not allowing her out of my sight, my son out of my sight, then instead of using your past traumas, that you willingly put yourself through instead of telling your parents where to go because you knew Harry’s reputation, then fucking listen. Hudson is my son, not yours; he’s your sister’s son, not yours, fuck, you weren’t even there during her pregnancy despite your sister always putting you and your safety first. So get off your high horse instead of spreading accusations that could destroy my fucking career and my relationship with your sister!”

I pass the phone back to a shocked Pen and mutter, “Sorry, Firecracker,” then walk away without looking back.

I went for a two-hour walk after that, and when I came back, Pen acted like nothing had happened while she cooked us homemade Chinese, and her phone didn’t ring once.

I hate what I said to Avery, but unfortunately, it was the truth, and she pushed me too far. Don’t fucking compare me tosomeone who hits women to feel better about himself when I would die for Penelope, something Avery is fully aware of.

“I know it isn’t enough son. I know you want her to pay. It wasn’t just you she was stalking but half the fucking team, you just got the brunt of it. I promise she won’t hurt you or our family again,” Dad reassures, and I smile a little at the ‘our family.’

I fucking love how easily he and Mom have accepted Pen into the fold.

“Alright,” I sigh, “I better go. We’ll see you tomorrow for family dinner.”

Dad replies, “I’m looking forward to it, but do me a favor and come in through the side door so your mother doesn’t steal my grandson. "

I chuckle as he hangs up, drop my phone beside me, and lean back on the couch. Between Mom, Hannah, Kaylah, and Dylan, Dad barely gets Hudson, and he hates it.

I hear a door open, but I don’t move. Instead, I lean my head back and close my eyes, knowing I need to brace myself to see her bruises, bruises that were my doing by bringing Elena into her life.

I feel Pen climb over me, straddling my legs before her soft hands cup my cheeks and she pulls, forcing me to lift my head. I open my eyes, locking them with her mesmerizing dark green ones.

She gently rubs her thumb along my bottom lip and says, “I know what you’re thinking,” and I raise a brow. She smiles and rasps, “You blame yourself for this, but it isn’t your fault. I get it, you slept with her a few times, but so did half the team and several others. Her doing this wasn’t your fault. It was hers, and I hate that you blame yourself because you shouldn’t,” her eyes raced between mine, “And besides, I got to not only hit her butalso tackle her and knock her out. I’ve dreamt of that since my first call with her.”

I snort before gently nipping her thumb, making her smile.

“How’s your sister?” I ask, and her eyes soften as awe shines in them because I’m willingly asking about her. Smiling gently, she admits, “Feeling guilty. She knows she owes you one hell of an apology, but not by phone. She was out of line, and after you left, she called, and I ripped her a new one, as did Tony when he tried to interrupt me. He thought someone rang and made her cry until I told him what happened. He lost his shit at her and actually questioned if she’d accuse him of abuse next before walking out. I love my sister, I do, but she has to understand that not only did she put herself in that situation because she didn’t know how to fend for herself, liking the lifestyle mom and dad gave her but accusing someone who didn’t deserve it of abuse, all because she didn’t get her own way was disgusting. She knows she’s not welcome in our home or near our son until she apologizes.”

She leans forward and gently kisses my lips, sending shockwaves throughout my body and she whispers, “I will never allow anyone, including my sister, to make you out to be someone you are not. " She looks over my face and states, “I love you, Taylor Hudson Evans, and I never want to live my life without you.”

My heart flutters as corny as it sounds, but everything in me calms as I sit forward, run my fingers into her hair, and grip it tight. Gently, I caress her lips and reply, “You’ll never live without me, Firecracker, because you are my everything, I love you too,” then press my lips against hers hard.

She kisses me back just as hard, and our tongues meet. I know I’ll go to the ends of the earth for this girl, and if anyone tries to get in between us, I’ll destroy them.

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