Page 29 of The Perfect Wife
It was more than one day. Her twenty-first birthday meant everything to her, which also meant it was something special to me. I wanted to give her the biggest twenty-first birthday party ever, but I knew it wasn’t possible. “I’ll allow Kenzi to celebrate your birthday with you, but bringing your parents here is too much of a risk. The van outside wasn’t arranged by Salko. I think there is another player, and I have to keep you safe more than ever.”
“Who other than my father would have an interest in me?”
“Someone who shared your last name.”
“McCall?”
“No, Braxton.”
The room suddenly got quiet until I heard her plea, “Why?”
“I don’t know, princess. We are still trying to figure that out.”
Holding her at arm’s length, Reyna’s eyes were still clouded with tears. The way she looked up at me killed me. I did this to her. I wasn’t an honorable man, and she deserved better. I knew it, but I couldn’t let her go. And using her as a bargaining piece was no longer an option. There had to be another way to draw Salko out.
∞
After having to reheat our dinner, Reyna and I finally sat down to eat. I could finally say that she understood how important it was to keep her safe, or at least I hoped she did. As we sat at the table enjoying our dinner, there were small exchanges of conversation, all of which surrounded what she wanted to do for her birthday celebration. Everything she mentioned would take some doing, but it wasn’t entirely impossible. I actually through it was ingenious on her part to use the camera system I had and incorporate a way for her parents to be present through aFaceTimeapp of sorts. That way, they could be a part of her celebration.
The conversation was going great until Reyna mentioned Gwen. “So… tell me more about your fiancée. What was she like?”
There were so many words to describe Gwen. She was smart, funny, and stubborn. Mostly she was kind and had a heart of gold. “I think you are a lot like her in some ways.”
“Like how?”
“Well… just like you, she was stubborn, but she knew what she wanted.”
“I’m not stubborn. I just like doing things my way.”
That was the truth. I knew firsthand how much Reyna liked doing things her way. It was evident the day I met her, and it was apparent tonight. “I don’t see a difference between stubbornness and doing things your way. At least not when it comes to you.”
“Hey… I take offense to that.”
“You shouldn’t. It is actually a compliment.” Little did Reyna know that I like her defiant personality. It’s what kept me wanting her more.
I’m not sure how the subject of conversation switched so quickly from Gwen to my mom, but when Reyna asked, “How is your mom doing? It must be really hard your dad and you,” I knew that Mika must have filled her in.
“I really haven’t thought much about her. I know she is in a good place, getting the best care possible. As for my dad, he has moved on, but he still sends her flowers on her birthday and their anniversary, knowing she won’t know who sent them. He lost the woman he loved a long time ago. Someday I hope that he will find a woman that can fill his heart as much as my mom did.”
“I assume they are no longer married.”
“Legally, no. Before my mom got really bad, she thought it was best they divorce. All he had to do was sign the paperwork to make it legal. He never did until the doctors confirmed that she wouldn’t get any better. It was the hardest thing he ever did, but in return, he promised to make sure they took good care of her, and if he passed before she did, I would carry out his promise until she died.”
It felt good to talk about my mom. It had been so long since I’d seen her or even thought about her. Maybe once this situation with Reyna ended, hopefully with Rui behind bars, or better yet, dead, I’ll try to visit her again.
~21~
Reyna
Davian offered to clear the table while I relaxed on the couch. Our conversation about his mom was all I could think about. It was sad that she couldn’t remember how much she loved them both and saw them only as a threat. Even though I never got the chance to know my mom, she would forever be in my heart. Dropping my hand to the necklace I wore around my neck, I opened the heart-shaped locket and looked down at the picture.
I hadn’t realized that Davian had come up behind me until he said, “That must be you and your mom.”
“Yeah,” I said, feeling the emotions from not knowing her take over. “I wish I could have known her.”
Davian rounded the couch and took a seat next to me while picking up my legs and placing them over his lap. “I know it’s hard, but at least you have something to remind you of her. I’m sure she loved you a great deal.”
Moving closer, I shifted my body so I was sitting across Davian’s lap with my legs resting on the couch. Wrapping my arms around his neck, we were face to face. “I’m bet your mom loved you too before she got sick.”
