Page 30 of Blade

“Because your brain and your heart are having a hard time understanding that I will take care of you forever. I can be as patient as you need, Little one. I love you.”

I jerked my head up to look at him. “You love me?”

“I do. Very much, darlin’.”

I loved him too. So fucking much.

He was quiet, giving me time to get my thoughts together.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Little one?”

“Yes,” I said, wishing I could articulate a better way to accept his offer.

“Yes, you’re moving in with me?” He sounded so damn happy and I hoped I would always keep him that way.

“Yes,” I answered again.

He squeezed me tight and kissed the top of my head. “This is the best news, sugar. What a happy Saturday.”

I laughed into his neck because the night before, he’d complained about how awful Satudays were atDaddies Ink.He said they were always slammed with people who had a bit too much to drink and then decided they wanted a tattoo. The employees always turned them away with a business card in case they still wanted their design when they were sober.

“I gotta tell Ms. Ramsey,” I said, thinking out loud.

“I think she’ll be very happy for you.”

Daddy had helped me sell the things I didn’t want from my parents’ apartment. Their landlord had moved our things to a storage unit for me, hoping I was okay. It was an incredibly nice gesture. I’d saved half of the money and given the other half to Ms. Ramsey, along with some of the things that didn’t sell. The things I had wanted to keep were in Leland and Rogue’s attic and I felt so much peace knowing I hadn’t lost anything from my childhood.

I nodded. “And Allyson too.”

“You can tell Allyson today,” Blade said.

That was true. I would see Allyson when I went to work with Blade. We were both working at Daddies Ink now. They were so swamped with clients, Leland had given us both jobs as receptionists. I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure they needed both of us, but I was thankful Leland was giving us both a chance.

“Yeah.” I kept my head resting on his shoulder and he kept rubbing my back. “Daddy?”

“Yes, darlin’?”

“I love you too, so much.”

“Oh, Eloise, that makes me so happy to hear.”

He tried to move me off his lap, but I whined, wanting to stay glued to him.

“You’re a sleepy baby,” he said when I yawned.

I was tired. I hadn’t slept well at the shelter the night before, probably because I had missed him.

“Do you want to take a nap in my bed?”

“Yes, please.” I loved taking naps in his bed. His sheets smelled like him and they made the coziest cocoon.

“Do you need to go potty?” he asked, carrying me into his bedroom.

“No, sir.”

“You haven’t been since you got here this morning. How much water did you drink from your sippy cup?”

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