Page 148 of Already At Risk
I was quiet for a long moment, letting words sink in that I’dreallyneeded to hear. I could almost feel the weight sliding from my shoulders, disappearing from sight. My chest ached, a sudden grief in knowing Pops was right; Dad’s path was always going to be unfinished. And there was nothing I could do about it.
NothingI did would change that.
And while that thought destroyed me, it also freed me.
“I think I know that, too,” I finally said, my voice hoarse. “At least now, I do.”
“Good.” Pops nodded. He settled his hands on his round belly, like it was his own little table. “So that’s where you met this girl?”
A grin split onto my face, and I was suddenly bursting inside, feeling renewed and so damn hopeful about where things were headed. Because I’d known from the very beginning that Natalie was someone so fucking special. And I finally got to tell someone why.
“No, actually. Get this.” I turned, wanting to see his expression when I told him. “I met her at Mulligan’s.”
Pops’ face lit up, his eyes sparkling.
I was born in California because my parents had moved there for work and spent some years out west. But my roots were here, on the East Coast. My grandfather had lived here in New York his whole life. It was where he raised my dad and my uncle with my grandmother. And my mom was from Boston. She used to live not too far away from where Noah and Gemma’s apartment was, in Back Bay, and it was part of the reason I’d looked into Boston law schools before ultimately landing my job at Gardner. My mom had met my dad when he was in Boston visiting a friend from college, a story Pops knew well.
“Mulligan’s,” he repeated under his breath, an amused chuckle following it. He got more comfortable in his chair, tipping his head back on the patio cushions. “Yeah. You just let me know when the wedding is, ’kay?”
My chest felt like it might burst wide open at the thought, even as I reminded myself what I promised Natalie—that we’d take this as slow as she wanted.
“Will do, Pops.”
He shook his head. “Why the hell did you ever agree to represent her in the first place?”
“I’ve been asking myself that question a lot lately,” I admitted. “I should have known that this would always be the outcome. But she’s a little skittish, you know? I don’t think she would have taken a chance on me if it seemed like too much of a sure thing. I think the fact that we couldn’t be together—not really—was her safety blanket of sorts. And given her past, I don’t blame her.”
“Mmm,” Pops hummed. “Everything has a way of working out the way it’s supposed to, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” I said, hoping I could speak it into existence.
Everything would work out.
CHAPTER FORTY
cameron
WHEN I ARRIVED AT Natalie’s the next day, she opened the door before I even walked up the steps, giving me a shy smile. I gave her a bold one back because I was so fucking done hiding how I felt whenever I saw this woman.
That caused her grin to widen. She waited for me on the top stair, the door closing behind her, and I skipped a few to get up to her, stepping into her arms when she opened them for me.
God yes.
This. This was what I’d been craving.
Natalie locked her hands around my neck, pressing herself closer, and I took that as a sign that I was allowed to swoop in for a kiss, brushing one against her mouth. Heat sparked, unraveling inside me. I’d wanted to do this on Fridaysobadly. I hated not being able to kiss her freely, and her lips curved beneath mine, as though she’d been feeling and thinking the same things as me.
“Yeah?” I questioned, needing to hear from her mouth that this was the direction we were heading. The one where I got to kiss her whenever I wanted. Outside of confirming our plans for this evening, I hadn’t heard from her all day, making me anxious about her decision for the case. Although I’d hate pausing our relationship, it would befineif she decided she didn’t want toswitch representation. But we’d have to be incredibly careful moving forward. And kissing in front of her house probably didn’t fall under that definition.
“Yeah,” she breathed before lifting on her toes to kiss me again.
And fuck if I didn’t want to kiss her back. I’d never wanted anything more in the world, actually.
But I needed toknow.
“What’d you decide about the case, Sunshine?” I breathed against her lips. “Can you tell me where we stand before I lose my mind?”
“Oh.” Natalie pulled back, her cheeks tinting pink. “Right. You’re fired.” She winked at me, and I’d never once been happier to hear those words or see her smiling face.
