Page 45 of Gator

“Might as well come on in. She isn’t back yet.” She gestured for me to sit, her movements steady and deliberate.

Following her inside, I asked, “You knew what Juju was doing?”

“I did.”

“Why didn’t you stop him?”

“Because if she’s going to be your wife and the mother of your children, she has a right to know what she’s walking into, Wade.”

“I told her.”

“But you didn’t tell her everything!” mymômansnapped, and she glared at me. “You may have lost your dad and older brother, Wade, but I lost my husband and son. Do you know the anguish, the grief, the pain I feel every day knowing that I won’t be able to see them? It suffocates me! And yet, I still get up every morning and try to live. But not you. You hide away in that damn bar and hold on to the past. It’s time to let the dead go, Wade. Your future is here, and it’s beautiful. All you have to do is grab hold and not let go.”

“Juju had no right.”

“That may be, but you weren’t going to do it, and someone needed to. I love you, Wade, but enough is enough. Devlyn hasuprooted her life and moved here for you. She is carrying your babies. Three little ones that will need a father. And right now, their father is being an ass.”

“Don’ like you cursing,Môman,” I whispered.

“Then do the right thing and tell her what really happened!”

I looked away, the weight of her words pressing against my chest. The truth was a jagged thing, sharp and unkind, yet undeniable. Mymôman’s eyes softened, though the steel in her voice remained.

“Wade, life ain’t gonna wait for you to catch up. It moves forward, whether you’re ready or not,” she said, stepping closer, her hand resting on my arm. “Devlyn has chosen you repeatedly. She deserves your whole truth, even if it’s messy. Let her stand beside you, not in the shadows of what you refuse to face.”

The silence between us stretched, heavy and charged. I swallowed hard, the walls of the life I’d built beginning to crack.Mômansqueezed my arm gently, her strength undeniable despite the grief she carried.

“You loved your father and brother, Wade. But loving them doesn’t mean forgetting the ones who are still here,” she added, her voice low, almost a whisper. “Don’t let your guilt rob you of the family that’s waiting for you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

It was late when Juju dropped me off, and all I wanted to do was shower and go to bed. My mind was still whirling with the information I learned, and though I refused to admit shit right now, deep down, I already knew what I was going to do. I needed at least one good night’s sleep before my life changed forever.

I guess I already knew before I left The Bourbon Bar. Maybe even when I was sitting in the kitchen and Wade was trying to tell me what he couldn’t verbally say. But the more I thought about it, I made my decision the second I got off my couch and ran out of my apartment after him. I knew back then he was it for me.

Didn’t like it, but hey... a girl couldn’t get everything she wanted, right? On the plus side, the food was way better here and if I were honest, Wade wasn’t half bad either.

I felt him the second I entered the room, and for a fleeting moment, I thought about running for the hills, but instantly thought better of it.

Oh, who was I kidding?

I wasn’t running anywhere expect to that nice fluffy bed.

“Do you not understand the concept of time, Wade?” I said, kicking off my shoes as I walked toward the bed.

“Gave you three days.”

Quirking an eyebrow at him, I snarked, “Do you want a medal?”

“I want you to come home.”

“This is your home, therefore by default, technically I am home.”

“You know what I mean, Devlyn.”

Sighing, I nodded. “It’s been a long day and I’m tired, Wade. Besides, this bed is so comfy. So, unless you’re willing to disassemble it and bring it with us tonight, we’re sleeping here.”

He practically sprinted across the room, grabbed me, and kissed me ardently. I almost forgot how intoxicating Wade’s kisses could be—how they had a way of making the world blur at the edges until only he existed. When we finally broke apart, his fingers still tangled in my hair, he whispered, “You drive me crazy, you know that?”

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