Page 66 of When We Fall: Part One
He came without a fight and curled up against my body, his head on my chest and his hand low on my belly.
“You won’t leave, right?” he whispered. “You’ll come back?”
“I’ll come back.”
“Promise, Rosebud?”
“Promise.”
“We still need to make our garden. We will, right?”
“We will.” I raked my fingers through his hair, so much worry in my body that it made me sick.
“I’ll be better. I swear I will be. I know I haven’t proven that much to you, but I will. I fucking swear I will.” He pushed my nightgown up before pressing his soft, warm lips to my abdomen. “For our babies. Our family. Fuck.Please, Rosebud. I’m begging you.” He wept softly, his big body shaking against me.
I knew how much having a family meant to Cole. He based a big portion of our relationship around his love for me and the prospect of creating his own family. I’d made a promise to him, which I intended to keep.
I just prayed it was something I could still do.
All I knew was that without Fox, we weren’t anything.
He needed to come home.
TWENTY-FOUR
FOX
Iwatched E walk outside with Rosalie. He looked exhausted, and that made me sick. I knew I was causing a little more drama than he needed, but damnit, I just needed to breathe for a minute. It didn’t help that Cole’s words were on repeat in my head. Getting Rosie away to talk to her about it all was key. Everything hinged on what she wanted.
I wasn’t going to be around long enough for my feelings to matter, and that sucked. I thought my being away might even be good for everyone because it was definitely going to happen for the long term soon enough. All of this shit let me know how fucked everything had become. Enzo taking her choice from her wasn’t going to fly with me. If it meant I had to die to give her freedom, so be it.
The night I’d gone out with Anson, we’d drunk at a local bar before sitting with bottles of booze in his car. He begged me not to go through with it. Even offered himself in my place, but I declined, knowing it had to happen. If things continued the way they were, it would be sooner rather than later.
Anson swore to me he’d take care of her. I believed him. He said the moment I died, he’d take her and run. He wouldn’t look back. But he begged me to rethink it all. The De Santis empireand this life be damned. It wouldn’t be in vain. He vowed it, and we sealed the deal with a handshake and a drunken hug.
I’d been thinking about it as I’d promised him, but the answer was still the same, especially after the latest events. This was just what needed to happen as far as I was concerned.
E opened the passenger door to my Jeep and helped Rosalie in. She looked beautiful today. Her red curls spilled around her. The green sundress she wore brought out the color of her eyes. I could gaze at her for the rest of my life and never get enough.
E placed her bag into the back of the Jeep and cleared his throat.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey, man. You good?” I asked as Rosalie clicked her seatbelt into place.
“I’ll be fine,” he said, offering me a quick smile. “Always am.”
“E, man, come on. I’m being serious,” I said.
“So am I. I’m OK. Just… you two come home. If I know you’ll be back, I’ll be fine.”
Rosalie looked over at me.
I nodded to E. “I’ll see you soon. Keep the other two in line, alright?”
“As much as I can. We’re meeting with Vander Veer tonight. Enzo postponed it after everything…” his voice trailed off. I knew how much he hated meeting with Vander Veer. Celeste was a dog with a bone when it came to E. We all hated the bitch, but when E’s presence was requested for exchanges, he forced himself to show up. It wasn’t often, but it was enough.
“Call me if you need me.”
