Page 83 of Before You Go

“Of course.” I agree with my heart feeling heavy because I want to be here too. I want to be part of that plan, but part of me is still terrified that we are moving way too quickly and this bubble that we are living in right now is going to burst and… And if that happens, I will be right back where I was when I left Matthew—living in my studio trying to figure out who I am and what I’m doing. Only I’ll be doing that with a baby that I share custody of with him and absolutely heartbroken because I have never felt about another person the way I feel about him.

“One day at a time, Franny.” He slides up my body and pulls me against his chest. “We’re still taking this one day at a time.” His lips come to rest against my forehead as he continues to speak. “And every day, I’ll continue to choose you.”

CHAPTER 21

Dayton

As I step out of the bathroom dressed for work, PJ lifts his head and watches me with his tail wagging as I walk towards the bed. At some point, Franny moved from the middle where I left her after my alarm went off to my side and wrapped herself around my pillow. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, I slide my hand up her back.

“Franny.” I slide the heavy fall of hair off her neck, and she moves, mumbling something in her sleep, making me smile.

“Baby.” I lean down and brush my lips across the shell of her ear, then whisper there, “I’m leaving.”

“No, it’s too early.” She whispers back, reaching out and wrapping her hand around mine on her neck. “Come back to bed.” Fuck, it kills me that I can’t give her what she wants.

“I wish, baby, we’ll sleep in on the weekend.” I press a kiss to her temple. “I already took PJ out and fed him, so sleep, and call me when you get up.”

“Okay,” she agrees, not even opening her eyes.

Getting off the bed, I make sure she’s tucked in, then start to leave the room, and PJ jumps off the bed to follow me.

“Dayton,” Franny’s sleepy voice calls out, and I stop in the doorway and turn to find her head up and her eyes on me.

“Yeah.”

“Before you go, you should know I love you.” My body stills. “I don’t want you to think that I’m not choosing you too.”

“You can’t say shit like that when I’m just about to leave Franny.”

“Sorry.” She whispers. “I just wanted you to know.”

With a shake of my head, I walk back around the bed, and she falls to her back as I loom over her, pressing my fist in the mattress while my free hand wraps around the back of her neck. Pulling her up, I capture her mouth and kiss her, and she threads her fingers through my hair, holding on.

Sometime later, when I’m dressed once more, and she’s lying half on her belly with nothing but the sheet low on her waist, I take a seat on the edge of the bed in the same position I was in earlier this morning and slide my fingers down the side of her face.

“I’ll see you tonight.”

“Okay,” she whispers with a smile, sounding sleepy as she reaches up and rests her hand on my cheek. “Good luck today.”

“Thanks, baby.” I turn my head and press a kiss to her palm. “Just so you know.” I lean over and brush my lips against the shell of her ear. “I love you too.”

“I know.” I hear the smile in her voice, and then I see it when I lean back.

“I’ll see you this evening.” I brush my mouth across hers one last time then get up off the bed and PJ starts to follow me, but I pick him up and put him on the bed since he can’t get up there without help.

I’m in my SUV a few minutes later, and I glance down at my dash when my cell begins to ring, the number isn’t one I recognize but it is local, so I hit accept on the call.

“Hello.”

“Dayton.” A familiar female voice asks.

“Yeah, who’s this?”

“Janelle, I got your number from Detective Shaw.”

“Oh, hey Janelle, how’s it going?”

“All right. Busy working, but that’s nothing new. I meant to call you yesterday, but time got away from me, and by the time I got a chance to call, it was too late, so I’m doing that today.”

---