Page 83 of Despite It All
“Happy until that damn doll house,” Vance mumbles, which elicits a small slap to the gut from Rose. “Geez… I’d still do it again though.”
“Mommy, can I get on the bed?” Stevie bounces up and down at the edge.
“Of course, baby.”
I help her take her shoes off and she hops on. She jumps around for a little while then Vance shows her all the features of the dream house he put together.
“I’m going to get the plates out and stuff out for pizza,” Jett says. “Y’all keep looking around.”
As he walks out, I can’t help but follow him to the kitchen.
“So, where’s my room?” I lean back against the counter and put on my best flirty smile. I know where I’m sleeping tonight whether he likes it or not.
Jett tosses a thing of paper plates next to the pizza boxes then walks toward me. His hands go on either side of me, caging me in. “Our room is on that side of the apartment. With good reason in mind.”
“Hmm, seems awfully bold of you to assume I’d—”
I’m cut off by Jett sealing his mouth over mine. His hands capture my cheeks, pulling me closer as he deepens the kiss.
I wrap my arms around his waist and claw at his back. Over the past five years, I really hadn’t thought much about being with someone but with Jett? He lit this flame five years ago and damn it if it isn’t raging now.
Maybe I’m being impulsive or rushing into this but have you felt in your gut that someone was just… right? Jett feels right.
Chapter 27
My girls sit on the couch, bright and early the next day, watching some cartoons and munching on the strawberries I cut up. As I watch them while finishing up some bacon and eggs, I can’t believe this is my life now. I don’t really seem to mind the early mornings with them here.
I’m so fucking happy. This is everything I wanted—and more—five years ago with Wyla. I can’t stand the thought of them leaving at the end of this week. I know I said this week was to see if Wyla could be happy here, and while I would do any and everything in my power to always make her happy… I’m not entirely sure where she stands on the moving here part.
Part of me wants to call it quits, be with my girls constantly, but I’m not sure I’m done with baseball yet. I feel like a selfish asshole for it but it’s how I can provide for them.
I don’t even know what I would do in Aster Creek, and transferring to a different team feels a bit like a betrayal after everything the Mavs have done for me. Even then, the closest team is still another state away in Georgia, and I would still want them to move with me.
“Daddy! Mommy says hurry up with our eggs,” Stevie yells as she hangs half her body over the couch.
“Stevie, you were supposed to tell him to hurry, not throw me under the bus!” Wyla pulls her down and tickles her.
Stevie’s laughter fills the apartment. All I know for sure is I can’t not hear that laugh and can’t not see Wyla’s smile every damn day.
I scoop the eggs onto one plate, then the bacon on the others and set them on the bar counter. “Alright, you two. It’s ready.”
“Yay!” They chant together before hopping off the couch.
Wyla hovers close while Stevie climbs onto the barstool. “I got it, Mommy.”
“I know you do, Miss Independent.” Wyla rolls her eyes as if she isn’t the same way.
“Hmm, independent? Where would she have learned that?”
Wyla gives me her look that she thinks shows that she’s unamused, but there’s always a bit of her dimpled, nose scrunch smile in there.
“What are we doing today, Daddy? Do you play baseball again?”
“I do. We have a game tonight and you and mommy can sit anywhere you want.”
“Anywhere?” Stevie’s eyes go wide and her voice goes up an octave.
“Anywhere, Little Bee. But until game time, Nana and Pops called and wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with them for a little bit. They mentioned something about a zoo. Possibly…”
