Page 34 of Slow Burn
Killed me that my girl couldn't just tear her walls down with me, but I meant it. I would rebuild us a brick at a time, if that's what it took.
Two days after baby Byrne entered the world, I was quite sure my own world might be in trouble. I came home from work to find every single wall in the house, except Amelia’s room, bare. Drop cloths covered the kitchen counters and hardwood floors. Brynn was painting the cream walls a lovely gray, her cute ass in my sweats and tank top again.
“Umm...honey. What are we doing here?” We had not discussed painting. Let alone a complete remodel of our place.
A few days after we finished Amelia's room, I had walked into something similar. But, Lola had been there, painting a tree mural on the wall. It was perfect and fucking adorable. Brynn was so excited as she pointed out the pink and brown owls that were me and Amelia. This....this is different.
“Got bored. Thought since we painted Amelia's room, might as well do the whole house. Like this color, you think?” I did, actually, like the color.
Brynn had four shades of gray painted on the wall, and was asking me about one shade in particular. Isabel had hired painters to do the place when we first moved in. Then a decorator friend—instead of Regan Cooper, Cage's sister, who I'd asked to help us. I had no say whatsoever in how my place looked. Though I was surprised to come home to it in chaos, I liked that she was asking me.
“I do, actually. Come here. Give me something.” Brynn giggles and tips her head back, giving me the sweetness of her mouth.
We don't paint much that day. We do get dirty though. Her ass prints end up on the wall and I argue that I don't want her to paint over it. She does though; and then the kitchen. The bedroom. Even the hall.
I come home one day to the furniture being gone. I pinned her to the cold hardwood and fucked her after she asked to go look for a new set together. A few days later, it's a new bedroom set.
“Either my girl is going through some kind of crisis or she just won the lottery. Every day it's something new at our place.” Hunter is back and as he's my go-to for relationship shit, I ask him about it during a call.
“Man...my first wife replaced my couch ten times. We agreed on one and I found her fucking the carpenter on it a few weeks later. I hated that fucking couch.” Cold washes over me, but I know better.
Brynn is not Isabel. From the beginning, this thing has felt different. I married Isabel not because of love, although I did care about her, but just because I thought it would make it stick. What I have with Brynn, what I feel for her, it will always stick with me, wedding ring or not. I realize suddenly, we never talk about the future and I wonder if I should be asking those questions.
“Maybe she wants to get married?” I wondered out loud.
“Then marry her. Married the wrong girl once. Might do you good to marry the right one this time, man.” Hunter shrugs as if it really is that simple.
“I love her. I love her with my daughter. Those girls...I would die for them. I just can't.... I can't get through to her how impossible we are to deny. I don't have all of her yet because part of her is holding on to Boston.” I winced as I said the truth out loud.
Boston feels like the lover who broke her heart that I can't compete with. It was her home, the place she wanted to make a life and now it’s over. Brynn won't tell me why she doesn't want to go back. I wish the family Amelia and I offer is her only reason, but I know better.
Something won't let her go and I thought, at first, that it was someone else. Lola insists that’s impossible. Brynn can be evasive with details. I do think a lover waiting in the wings would have come up, though.
“Levi...ever think Brynn doesn't let go of that place because she doesn't know what to hold on to here?” Our rig pulls up to a small fire and I blink at it.
Shit. Right there on the curb, I kiss Hunter Brynn on the cheek. Cage and Finn wolf whistle and the rest of the guys applaud. Hunter is fuming but I just smile because he just righted my world again.
“Let’s put this fire out, boys! I got a family to get home to!”
After we do put that fire out, I can't wait to get home to my girls. No matter what I walk into, how it might look today, that is our home. I didn't think I needed to tell Brynn that. Now, I realize I do. Brynn is in limbo because of Boston; I demand she stay but never said I wanted her to stay here, with me and Amelia.
“Honey, I'm home!” Damn, it feels good to say that when I come home a few hours later.
“In the bedroom. Amelia is with Gwen, baby. Come look.” I head down the hall, noting some new artwork is hanging on the walls.
“Mmm, my queen.” I press into her from behind, the little box in my pocket reminding me what I need to ask.
“Hey, baby. I missed you.” Brynn lets me hold her as I survey the new room.
Brynn texted me all morning about our new bedroom set. We picked it out a few nights ago and she was so excited to have it delivered and set up today. When I got home, she was just finishing with the new bedspread she picked out to match the gray and teal look she seems to be going for. I like it and what's more, I like that she's letting me be part of it. We're both building this castle.
“I like it, honey. You did good, Brynn.” I do like it, more than the set Isabel chose without my input.
“Thank you, baby. It's so pretty, right? Looks good with the gray.” Brynn twists in my arms, a look of pride on her beautiful face.
Fuck, I love her so Goddamn much. I want to lock her away in this castle so I know we can make this fairytale come true. I want to give her and Amelia the entire world, and I want to do it right now.
“I love it. I love that you made this place yours. Because it is, Brynn. I am yours. Amelia is yours. This family is yours. Now, so is the castle.” I produce the plastic box that has the keys I rushed to have made.
