Page 113 of Blood & Lace
There wasn't an ounce of hesitation even after everything that had happened. "More than anything."
"Good." She reached over, and I flinched, expecting another slap. But instead, her cool hands wrapped around mine. "I'm going to hold your hand when I say this. Sometimes love isn't enough. You made a mistake. It's all about how you go about making up for it."
"I tried to figure out how to fix it already, and I got nothing." I grabbed the manilla envelope, holding papers I would rather burn and then piss on before ever signing them. "He sent these."
She took it out of my hand, glancing over the contents briefly. "You were served two weeks ago, Lucero."
I flinched at how much time had passed. Had it really been two weeks? And I was no closer to a way to win my husband back. "I couldn't sign it."
With a sigh, she closed it and sat it to the side. "Fine, no fixing.” She shrugged like her words weren’t an atomic bomb on my heart. “Can you change what you did?"
I shook my head knowing there was no way to time travel.
"Then what can you do?"
I don't know.
Stress ate away at me as I stared at my mother, hoping she'd give me a hint. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
"Figure it out. Unless all that stuff you said about loving him was bullshit. If that's the case, stay away from him. Onyx is a sweet man and he deserves someone that's going to put his needs first." She got up, gathering her purse. "If that's not you then the next man will do what you couldn't."
The thought of someone else making Onyx happy had bile lapping at the back of my throat. I couldn't ever allow that to happen.
"No."
"Words are meaningless if you don't have actions to back them up.”
I knew that, and yet I didn't know what actions to take. I replayed the day Onyx called everything off in my head on a constant loop. Mostly to punish myself, but I thought about everything he said, and slowly, it felt like the cogs were turning.
Régis. Adam.
Maybe there was a way. It was a long shot and probably had less of a chance than me hitting the powerball. But I'd take anything if it meant I got to see Onyx.
"Take a shower first." Her nose scrunched up as her words cut through my thoughts. "You smell like cheap perfume, whiskey, and BO." She stopped short. "You didn't touch one of these girls here, did you?"
I was up and out of my seat. "I would never cheat on Onyx. He's the only one for me."
Her smile was knowing. "Good, you're up. Go shower." She pointed over her shoulder at my siblings, all acting as if they hadn't been listening. "I expect to see my son-in-law for dinner. Along with all my children."
"Tonight?"
"Lucero Elvis Marino, was I not clear?" Her tone made it very clear that I didn't have a choice. "You go do what needs to be done."
Telling her that Onyx didn't want to see me felt pointless. "Okay."
She smiled at me. "Good, then get moving."
I moved as if there was a fire under my ass. I leaned down and gave Ma a kiss on her cheek before running past her.
It took me less than two hours to shower, trim my facial hair, and make it to the other side of town. There were so many warning sirens going off in my head again, and yet I still took the stairs and knocked on the door. I waited, my heart racing and my palms sweating. This could all go to shit or it could work out. Either way, I needed to do something.
The door opened and Adam peeked out through the crack before closing it. The sound of the chain rattling eased some of my anxiety. He opened the door a bit wider, not fully letting me in but not sending me away either.
I'd take it.
"You can tell me to fuck off."
Adam tilted his head as he stared up at me. "Will you listen?" Sarcasm dripped heavily from his lips.
