Page 31 of Corrupted By the Capo

“You think the same about your folks?” I asked.

She shrugged.

“I know exactly who my parents were and who they weren’t. But I had my Gram. Better than a hundred of either one of them. So I can’t complain,” she said.

“Me, neither,” I said.

I went quiet then, my hand still in hers.

Her eyes met mine, and in a breath, the air changed.

In that moment, I felt closer to Molly than I had to any other person, including Nico, who I had known my entire life.

It scared the shit out of me.

And it was so intoxicating.

Made me feel higher than any drug I had ever taken.

I leaned over and kissed Molly softly.

And as I made love to her that night again and again, I knew I’d never be able to let her go.

NINE

Molly

Four Weeks Later

“You want anything else?”Hope asked.

I looked at the table in front of me and felt uncharacteristically queasy.

“I’ll pass,” I said.

A mild statement, which in no way reflected how I felt. In fact, looking at the spread—oatmeal, scrambled eggs, sausage, and fruit salad—all of my favorites, made me sweaty and dizzy at the thought of eating any of it.

“You all right, Molly?” Hope said, sounding concerned.

I tried to reassure her by making my voice as perky as I could manage. “I’m great. But we didn’t come here to talk about me.”

She smiled.

“And what did we come here to talk about?”

“You,” I said.

A smile spread across her face, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling back. Hope was truly one of the best people I hadever met in my life. She deserved happiness, and to see her live it was a gift.

She looked at me, seeming to consider her thoughts. And then, finally, she said, “I’m great.”

And she meant it. I saw it in everything about her.

“That’s good, Hope,” I said. I reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “You deserve it.”

She was quiet for a moment, and then she looked at me.

“I do,” she said.

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