Page 31 of His Forever

Marleigh: I know and you have no clue how that makes me feel

Zeus: Tell me

Marleigh: I feel cherished, Zeus

Zeus: That’s because you are, mi siempre hermosa, more than you realize I think

Marleigh: Thank you, Zeus

Zeus: Any time, Marleigh. I’ll talk to you later, okay?

Marleigh: Yes

***

She heard the car pull up and got up to welcome Paulie and Gray. They had their hands full with pizza and what Paulie called “comfort snacks” which had her rolling her eyes. When Gray said, “Don’t forget what we got for Harry and Nabisco,” she lost it, doubling over in laughter. Finally catching her breath, she helped them get it into the apartment and then looked at them both and said, “I’ll be adding a new one soon. Her name is Sheba and Zeus got her for me when she wandered into his shop. She’s too young for her shots so she is staying down at his house right now.”

Paulie looked at her in astonishment. “Wait a second, you haveanothercat?”

“Well, kind of, although she is staying at Zeus’ right now. He got her for me, guys!”

Paulie rolled his eyes at her as he got out the plates for the pizza. Handing each of them a plate and grabbing a bag with the junk food, he started the parade into her bedroom and claimed one side with Gray claiming the other. “Guys, you know I hate the middle!” she mock-complained.

“Yeah, but this way, we can keep an eye on you,” Gray said as he plugged the heating pad back in and got it situated on her low back.

“Have you taken anything yet?”

“No, because I would have been dead to the world if I did, silly!” she told her cousin. “Plus, I have to eat something.”

“Well, eat up. We found a new series to watch. We’re going to have to leave early and just an FYI, Graywillbe there tomorrow.”

“It’s about time you stood your ground! Why it’s okay for my thrice-divorced sister to be there with her latest boy-toy but you two are treated like you are when you’ve been together for what seems like a gazillion years is totally beyond me!”

“This is what finally wore me down,” Gray said. “The fact that Paulie’s folks will be there and they specifically requested I be there tomorrow, as well as the fact that none of y’alls siblings have led anything close to ‘perfect’ lives relationship-wise made me see that leaving the both of you to your own defenses wasn’t good.”

“We’ve been the three musketeers forever, Gray,” she told him. “I couldn’t have picked a better man for Paulie than you. Even Zeus cannot understand how my family acts. He said something along the lines of even though it’s not his lifestyle, love is love. And he likes and respects you both. In fact, if I hadn’t called you, Paulie,hewas going to!”

“And he should. I trust him to watch out for my favorite girl,” Paulie said, pulling her close so she could relax against his chest. “He’s a good man, Marleigh. You know we wouldn’t blow smoke, especially not after Colton.”

“Yeah I know. Speaking of Colton, did I tell you guys what happened a few weeks back?”

“Nope.”

With them listening avidly, she caught them up on Colton’s visit to the salon and her response, then how Zeus’ ex was acting. When Paulie growled in disdain at the other woman’s failed attempts to get Zeus involved with her again, she patted his chest and said, “He as much as told her that it was a lost cause, Paulie, so slow your roll, yeah?”

He grinned down at her. She had looked so broken the day she left and it had hurt both of their hearts that she was running away, but they understood how betrayed she had felt. And even though she was a few hours away from them now, they could both see the woman she had always been before Colton shining through. For that, they would thank their lucky stars that she broke down in an area that Zeus handled.

“Now, about that junk food…I think I need some chocolate,” she finally said. Paulie obliged and then he and Gray got out the temptation treats they had brought for the cats, which had her giggling. “Really? You got them snacks?” she finally asked once she calmed down.

“It’s a movie night, chica, and they’re here too, right?”

She just rolled her eyes at them both and settled in to eat chocolate while they watched Netflix.

Several hours later, she was sound asleep, the medicine having knocked her out and they were quietly talking when they heard a voice at the doorway. “Is she okay, Paulie?”

Paulie looked up to see Zeus and a hound dog standing there. “Hey, Zeus. Yeah, she finally passed out. It’s bad this month for some reason. I wish we could beg off tomorrow, but I’m glad you had her call us. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for her.”

Gray, seeing how Zeus was watching the petite woman, said, “C’mon Paulie, I think we can head to bed now.”

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