Page 70 of Fury
The little princess hasn’t moved since climbing onto the bed with Mama Lopez.
“I don’t deserve you,” Brick grunts, full of emotion, getting everyone’s attention.
“No, you don’t,” Mama Lopez agrees, and Skylar tenses as Blade states, “We messed up, Mama. We decided not to see your pain, not to understand why you kept lashing out, and I’m so fucking sorry, so sorry.”
Brick continues, “I don’t want to lose you, Anna, I can’t lose you,” he presses a kiss to her hand, “I let my guilt cloud my judgment over the years, allowed my jealousy to takeover when you went through something alone. Something that is unforgivable, but I’m begging you, Anna, please don’t-don’t leave me, baby, please…”
Fuck.
Tears fall down his cheeks, and I look away out of respect, focusing on Skylar, who is watching the scene before her.
Twenty-four years of being called a patch chaser and a whore is a lot to try and forgive, especially after being blamed as to why he strayed.
Blade stays quiet, knowing right now is not the time to interject. His mama needs to see that he is on her side for once, not his father's, not after all the hurt.
Fuck I can’t wait to marry her, put my cut on her back and my baby in her stomach. As soon as Mama Lopez is out of the hospital and Tate is on the mend from her trauma, I’ll be making it all happen because she is my everything.
“We’ve had months of therapy, and not once did you bring up your past, allowing me to accuse you of cheating. You never mentioned your pain during that or the baby we lost, you haven’t opened up, you haven’t given me a chance and I get it, I do. I wouldn’t forgive me either but…” Brick whispers, “Please don’t leave me, please don’t throw away our love because of my stupidity, my jealousy and my blindness…”
Mama Lopez is quiet for a moment, her focus on my daughter as she gently runs her fingers through her hair, deep in thought. I tighten my hold on Skylar, who hasn’t interjected.
She’d left him before she got stabbed before she saved Sky, so the question is, will she change her mind and go back home and work on her marriage now Brick knows the truth.
“I’ll continue therapy,” she finally says after a few minutes, and Brick sags but then tenses as she states, “If Skylar is willing to give you and Leo a chance.”
I clamp my teeth on my bottom lip to stop my laughter while Blade looks away, trying to hide his, seeing right through his mother, and Brick gives her a small smile.
“Even after everything I have done, you’re trying to get her to talk to me, huh?” Brick mumbles against her hand, and Mama Lopez whispers, “I never stopped…” Making him melt.
“Mama,” Skylar begins to protest, but Mama Lopez cuts her off and states, “Those are my terms are. You get to know your father and brother, and I’ll agree to continue with therapy and finally open up,” she looks at Skylar, her eyes softening as she rasps, “Years I have been begging you to get to know them and years you have been begging me to open up about my trauma,” she smiles softly, “You don’t have to trust them, you don’t even need to open up fully, just get to know them, and I’ll try and learn not to forget but to forgive and see if there is still a future for me and your father.”
“You’re not playing fair, Mama,” Skylar says softly, “I’m not ready, not after witnessing your pain for years.”
“Skylar,” Blade says, and she looks his way, and he murmurs, “I could do with a friend.”
I smile and whisper in my girl's ear, “He’d make a pretty good one.”
“You are supposed to be on my side,” she whispers back, and I hum, gently kissing beneath her ear, and I admit, “I am always on your side. The club, the garage, my role, it all comes last where you and our daughter are concerned but, precious, if you don’t try you may regret it.”
“They hurt the most important person in my life,” she murmurs.
I reply, “And they aren’t trying to make things right because they can’t erase that kind of pain,” I look at Brick, who still has hold of Mama Lopez’s hand, and he nods, then look at Blade whoalso nods, and I look back at my girl, and I say, “But they are going to treat her like the queen she is.”
“I know I don’t deserve it, sweetheart,” Brick says, “but I would love the chance of getting to know you. Over the years I went the wrong way about it. I know this, but I can’t change the past, and I-I, I don’t want to put this on your shoulders, but I can’t live without my wife.”
“That isn’t playing fair,” Skylar repeats, and Brick smiles and states, “I never do play fair when it comes to the people I love and your mama, she is my whole heart. I think it’s time she opened up to me, to show me her hurt so I can begin to grovel and win her heart back and if that means I also get to know my daughter who I have wanted nothing more than to have a relationship with well that’s what I’m willing to deal with to get my wife back.”
Blade snorts, and I grin at his words as Mama Lopez mutters, “Like getting to know your daughter will be such a chore. You have her birth certificate with her changed last name on it but never told her.”
Sky gasps in shock while Brick smiles at his wife and admits, “It isn’t a birth certificate, baby. It’s adoption papers naming you as her mother. I was hoping once I convinced Sky to forgive me for my stupidity that, you’d adopt her after I spent time pleading with you to accept her and promise never to hurt you again. I just had no idea there wouldn’t have been a fight for you to sign the papers because I’m a fucking idiot.”
Brick wipes a few of her tears, and Sky turns her head to look at me. We lock eyes, mine softening at her dilemma, and I whisper, “What does your heart say, precious?”
She shrugs and admits, “To marry you,” and I grin because she has no idea what is about to come where that is concerned before I gently rub my nose against hers and whisper, “Soon, but that isn’t what I meant, and you know it.”
Her cheeks redden, and I can’t wipe the smile off my face as she gently cups my jaw and whispers, “I love you, Nyx, and I’m sorry for not giving you the chance you deserved. I will forever regret not trying until now.”
“Sky,” I rasp, “you have nothing to apologize over. You needed time, and I understood that in the end. I love you. Now stop stalling and answer the question, what does your heart say?”
