Page 116 of Total Obsession

On the second floor, there was a little strip of wallpaper that traveled around the hallway. Clearly from the '90s in terms of style, it was a picture of a little house and underneath it, it read, "Love makes a house a home."

It was the corniest shit I'd ever read, and I loved it. I understood its meaning so fully thanks to Zoey.

When I looked at her, I still couldn't believe that she'd agreed to stay with me and be a part of my life after everything I'd put her through. I'd half expected her to make me grovel and beg for forgiveness. In a way, Iwantedto do that. I wanted to be punished for the way I'd treated her. Instead, I felt like I'd somehow managed to be rewarded, because, at the end of all of this I'd been able to get out of the crime world and keep my woman.

As much as she claimed she forgave me, understood my motives, and could sympathize with where my mind was at after what had happened between us in high school, it wasn't enough for me. I knew I had to do something for her to try and make it up to her.

I knew I'd continue to try and do things for her for the rest of my life if she let me.

James had remained true to his word. Zoey's reputation had been restored. About two months after being placed into witness protection, we'd been told to turn on the entertainment news. The "true" video from Miami had been leaked. One showing a different face than Zoey's. Given the fact that the original video was taken in low lighting, making the resolution pretty bad, everyone ate the explanation right up.

It hadn't been Zoey in the video after all. Someone had just altered a porno to make it look like it'd been her.

As for her affiliation with a criminal, the nightly news soon thereafter reported that I'd been an FBI informant and that my information had led to the arrest of three wanted persons: Primo Maldonado, Beau Bennett (the bastard was somehow still alive), and Will Stevenson.

It felt good sitting on a couch knowing that those three men were currently behind bars because of me. They were all awaiting their arraignments and the Department of Justice was crossing fingers that the judge would deny them bail for concerns over being flight risks.

Only time would tell.

"Hey," Zoey said to me as she sat down on the couch and handed me a cup of coffee.

"Hey, pretty girl," I said to her with a smile, still feeling grateful that I could even call her that. I’d asked her if she wanted a different term of endearment, but she told me she liked this one. That it paid homage to everything we’d been through over the last year. “Have you given any thought to your career?”

All reports indicated that her series had been renewed for a second season and the movie deal was back on. However, if she decided to stay in witness protection with me, she’d have to give all of that up. It sort of went hand-in-hand with the new identities part everything.

If I was being honest, I was terrified that she might take the offer. I wouldn’t blame her for it, but I just didn’t want to envision a life without her in it.

She scrunched her face. “Honestly, I’ve really been enjoying my time away from all that. I’ve been able to work on my photography and was hoping to take a few classes at the local community college when everything calms down. Also, all that stuff that came out about Matt has made me a little apprehensive.”

I'd given over Matt's confession to the FBI and they'd gone ahead and released it to the general public. Perhaps they meant it to be a warning to others in the industry that they weren't going to get away with such horrible behavior.

Miranda's name had also been implicated in the confession, and her career had suffered a serious stall because of it. People apparently weren't too fond of another actress trying to steal the spotlight from her friend. Especially when, at the same time, Zoey was gaining a lot of sympathy and apologies for what the media had put her through.

More than anything, I hoped that Zoey could find a true friend. She deserved that and more.

"Whatever it is you want to do, you know I'll support you," I said to her.

She nodded her head and turned to me. “I’ve kind of had something else on my mind," she said. "And, I'm not sure that it's compatible with me going back to the studio.”

“Oh?”

She grabbed a little gift bag I hadn't seen her hide behind her back when she'd come into the room and handed it to me.

"You're not the one that should be giving me gifts, pretty girl," I said to her. In fact, I had one of my own to give to her currently tucked away in a velvet box. I'd been carrying it around in my pocket for the last month, but I'd been unable to find the right time to give it to her.

"Just open it," she said lightheartedly, and I winked at her.

I fished around the tissue paper before finally pulling out a long and slender piece of plastic.

"Don't worry, I washed it," she said with a laugh when my eyes widened.

I looked at the little pink pregnancy test with two lines on it before looking back at her and then back down at the device.

"I know it's not really a good time," she started to say, but she wasn't able to finish her sentence. I let the thing drop and wrapped my arms around her, kissing her hard.

"How, when?" I asked when I finally pulled back from her. I didn't stop kissing her, though. I just continued to press gentle taps of my lips against her neck, face, and shoulders. Really any skin that was exposed, I wanted to kiss. I wanted her to know just how incredibly happy I was about this news.

She blushed. "I think at the hotel," she said. "Great joy can be born from great sorrow," she said softly. "My grandmother used to say that."

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