Page 14 of Escaping the King
And with that—he spun around and left.
3
Giselle
“Are you okay?”Eve asked a really dumb question.
No.
I was not okay.
I couldn't tell her that, though.
I was trying my best to secretly pack the necessities Dani and I would need.I couldn't make it obvious and set everything out by the door.But I did manage to stuff a few bags in my car when nobody was paying attention.
I came up with lots of excuses for why I was spending so much time going through clothes and other things.
“No, but I will be soon.I just need time, honey.”I looked up at Eve.I was on the floor, going through the last of Dani's drawers.
“Oh, my gosh.That is the cutest,” Eve said and sat down beside me.She picked up an old bathing suit of Dani's.
I smiled at the pink daisy two piece in her hands.
“I know.I sewed that by hand when I was pregnant.I found a used bathing suit from a church sale and cut out a pattern from it.Dani loved it.”
“I remember you putting her in it the first summer here.”Eve grinned at it.“Do you think Ari could borrow it for a while?”She looked at me with a kind smile on her face.“I mean, if you don't mind?I'll give it back to you when you pop out your next baby,” she promised.
I shook my head.“No, you keep it.Marcello has sworn me to only have boys.So I guess I won't be needing it.”I tried to make a joke, but I think I failed royally.
“That's not what he said.”Carlo's big voice shocked me, and I looked up to see him in the doorway.He was leaning against the side of the doorframe.“He said a boy first.You can have as many girls as you want after that.”
I stared up at my strong, tall lumberjack.
Gosh.
Even all this time later, he still took my breath away.“Oh, I got it wrong.I'm sorry.”I turned my head to Eve.“As long as I pop out a boy first, the world will still continue to turn.If not—it's game over, I guess.”
She started laughing and then so did I.Marcello and Carlo and their rules were pretty ridiculous.
“All right, enough.I'm going to pick up some food.I'm too fuckin' tired to cook anything.”And that was reason four billion as to why I loved this man so much.He didn't stand there whining, asking when supper was.He knew it had been a crappy night and a crappy day.And nobody would feel like cooking.
We discussed it for a minute and decided on Indian food.“Okay.Dani just fell asleep on the couch.She's out.I'll lock the door behind me.”And then he left.
Nick had gone home a while ago to be with the babies.One of the other nannies from Italy had traveled home with us on the plane and then gone home with Nick and Eve.
That was Eve, though.Always thinking ahead.
The door shut and Eve whispered, “I'm so sorry, honey.We should have sent Sophia home.We saw the signs and should have acted.”
I sighed and set down the cute little pair of jeans in my hand.“This is not our fault,” I told my friend the truth.“Sophia acted how she—acted.But that didn't mean Stefan had to give in and fuck her.”
She shut her eyes for a few seconds and then opened them.“I know.I feel guilty, though.Stefan hasn't been thinking clearly.And waving a carrot in front of him like that maybe wasn't the best idea.”
I picked the jeans back up and folded them.“Too many carrots out there, Evie.We can't get rid of them all.”
She shrugged and started taking some of the clothes out of the drawer for me.I told her which ones were to keep, and which ones were to give away.
When the drawer was finished, Eve picked through the giveaway pile and took out what she wanted for her daughter.It made me sad to think I'd never see any of these outfits on Ari.I hoped my disappointment didn't show.
