Текст книги "Jerk"

Автор книги: Kat T. Masen

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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

“I’m sorry we’re late, sweetie. Haden just wanted some extra time with him.”

“He could have told me.”

“I know. He has a lot on his mind right now,” she defends him. “So listen, he asked me to give this to you.”

She hands me a piece of paper and I open it up to find a calendar for the next three months. My eyes divert to the boxes marked in red. In print it says “Eloise and Haden.”

“What’s this?” I ask, confused.

“Haden thought it was best to put together a schedule of when they could see Masen.”

“But…but…this is every other weekend…and it says New York?”

She puts the baby bag down and gracefully places her hand on mine. “Sweetie. It was bound to happen. If you’re moving to L.A. and Haden stays here, both of you will need to make the effort for Masen’s sake.”

“I can’t fly out to New York every other weekend!” I respond anxiously.

“Maybe Masen stays here for a week or Haden flies out. He didn’t get into the details with me.”

Masen be apart from me for a week?! Hell no! What the hell is running through his head? I’m angry, furious to be precise, and that whole thing about not letting my emotions get to me…well, fuck it! I tear the paper up in front of Liz, much to her shock.

“This is what I think of his stupid plan!”

Liz knows well enough to leave at this point. Kissing Masen for the last time, she waves goodbye, but not before telling me she’ll visit in a couple of weeks.

After my normal nightly routine, I put Masen to bed and head back to the living room to distract myself with mindless TV. It doesn’t work. I’ve channel-surfed for the past hour without settling on anything to watch. Kate arrives home and the second she does, I burst into tears. Not once does she tell me I’m wrong or making a mistake; she allows me to cry and let out my unresolved issues. Feeling bad that I soaked her shirt, I pull away, apologizing for being a wreck.

“You have every right to be. You love him and the Jerk’s marrying someone else. Plus, he puts together this stupid plan?”

“Why is he doing this? I don’t understand why he wants to take Masen away from me,” I sob.

“You need to talk to him, Presley. Clear the air and move on.”

“No. I don’t want to see him.” I stand up and head to the kitchen as Kate follows me. “He’s made his decision, Kate. He is marrying Eloise. He wants Eloise to be his wife. I’m taking Masen with me and moving to L.A. End of story.”

“If that’s what you want, Presley. Just remember that despite him marrying her, he is still Masen’s dad.”

Of course I know that. Masen looks exactly like him, even at this age. Every time I look at him I’m reminded of that. How can I cope with a lifetime of staring at my child’s face and being reminded of the man who so carelessly broke me to pieces? I have no plan for how to avoid that. That’s what makes it all the more difficult. No matter what you do, there’s no plan for curing a broken heart.

Saying goodbye isn’t too hard because the girls will come visit soon. It’s the cab ride to the airport that kills me. The radio is set on some ‘80s love song marathon. It’s easy to say I can just ignore it, but when Barry Manilow is belting out a tune, you better believe your heart aches along with him. When I was growing up, these songs were so corny, yet Mom and Dad would put them on and stare lovingly into each other’s eyes while singing out of key.

That was love. Married for almost forty years, and even with all their quirks, that love never faded. Mom once told me that she loved Dad more now than the day she married him. Forty fucking years.

Stuck in the usual traffic jam to the airport, the driver turns the dial up on the radio when Chicago’s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” comes on. Blinking my eyes to stop the tears, I force myself to think about my mascara and how I don’t want panda eyes at the airport. But I’m not that strong.

The cab driver actually asks me if everything is okay and I make up some lie about being homesick. Don’t need to get into the whole ‘the man I love got married today and I’m a pathetic single mom running away from all my problems’ story.

Song after song plays, and the more they sing about love, the more my mind wanders to today. Haden and Eloise are officially Husband and Wife right now. The vows to love each other for all eternity have been said and done. The shiny bands are sitting on their fingers, and right about now, they’re having their first dance as a married couple to some sappy song that probably played only moments ago in my cab.

I have shed so many tears over him. I’ve spent countless nights waking up in a cold sweat. If I’m ever to move on with my life, I need to grab that glue and start mending my heart. He may have torn it apart, but I’ll be damned if I’m the one suffering this lonely life all because of him. He can go ahead and be married, have a dozen babies for all I care. We both stood at that fork in the road and he went the opposite way.

Fate—you’ve laid out all the cards and I’ll take mine so you can leave me the fuck alone.

When street signs indicate that the airport is only a couple of minutes away, I breathe a huge sigh of relief. The driver pulls alongside the curb and hops out of the cab, opening the door for me. With Masen in his carrier, an attendant pushes a trolley my way, escorting me to the check-in desk with my suitcases.

The hustle and bustle of the airport distracts me. Streams of people lining up all heading to different destinations. There are plenty of business men standing in the first class line waiting impatiently to be served. The economy line is full of families and crying kids, all waiting to continue their journey. It takes longer than expected and by the time I’m served, I don’t have as much time as I originally set aside before having to board the flight. Shit. I don’t know how this happened; I scheduled everything and gave extra time for any incidentals like traffic or queues.

You dropped the ball, Presley. It’s what happens when you’re suffering from a broken heart.

Oh shut up, brain!

As I walk towards the gate, I see a line has already formed. Just great. I’m not sure if I have enough time to check Masen’s diaper and grab a bag of chips. I have barely eaten all day. Scanning the gate area for a spare seat to change Masen, my eyes move towards a man sitting on his lonesome near the entrance. With his head bent down, dressed in a black tux, he nervously plays with his wedding ring. How odd. As if someone would fly wearing a tux! It takes a moment for my brain to catch on but when it does, it’s like a strike of lightning followed by loud thunder. It hits me all in that one moment. That signature move, running his hands through his hair. Rubbing of his eyes beneath his black thick frames…

It can’t be.

You’re seeing things. You’re tired and delusional from the lack of sleep and food. You also possibly need your eyes checked for old age. Yeah, that’s it. Blame it on old age.

Yet I am drawn to this mysterious stranger. His behavior is odd and I’m surprised that airport security hasn’t detained him for being a suspicious weirdo. Oh god…what if he has a bomb?!

I’m walking slowly towards this madman, frightened for mine and Masen’s lives. What the fuck am I doing? Why is no one else helping me! The nervous rush running through my veins is making the blood in my heart pump so hard I’m certain everyone can see.

Then I stop.

A few steps away.

My heart stops, the beats barely existent as I stand on the spot, frozen. The blood drains from my face, and like I’ve seen a ghost, the noises around me fade into the distance. My stomach is nothing but a hollow pit, the walls caving in as the pain eats away at every part of me that has struggled to exist.

All because the man in the black tuxedo is my jerk.

The man who has so carelessly stolen my heart.

I’m walking towards him like a zombie and somehow manage to place Masen’s carrier carefully on the ground beside me. With a dry throat, I’m unable to speak the words sitting on the tip of my tongue. The words that have run circles in my head, begging me to speak them out loud every second since he walked away that night. But my pride steps in, and straightening my posture, I try to act calm and cool, not wanting him to see how much he broke me.

“What are you doing here?”

He doesn’t say anything, and the announcement reminding everyone that final boarding is commencing sends everyone around us into a hurried pace. Yet Haden is sitting perfectly still. Head down, staring at the carpet, twisting his shining wedding ring around his finger.

He got married. You saw the wedding ring earlier. Run now. Board that plane and never turn back. Don’t wait for him to shatter your heart even further, if that’s even possible.

“Did you know Britney Spears was married for less than twenty-four hours?” His tone is even, controlled, not a single whisper of any remorse.

Where is he going with this?

“Uh, yes I did…”

Silence.

He laughs at himself, like it’s a sick and twisted joke, shaking his head as his shoulders slump. “Who would have thought I would beat that record? Three hours. I mean, who the fuck separates after three hours?”

My voice cracks, and with a nervous stutter I ask, “Haden…what are you trying to say?”

His eyes move slowly up my body, causing every part of me to ache in his presence. When his eyes eventually meet mine, his stare is so deep that I’m terrified he has climbed into my soul and has buried himself even further. He looks dejected, tired, and worn out. There’s no life in his eyes anymore…even when he stares back at me. And why would there be? He doesn’t love me.

“You see, all along I was waiting for a sign. Just like in the movies. You know, when the priest asks if anyone objects and the girl of your dreams runs into the church professing her undying love and then the couple run down the aisle and into a fancy car.”

“It was a guy stopping the wedding, and I think you mean bus,” I chastise, with a weak smile.

“In my fantasy it’s an Aston Martin.”

“That’s some fantasy you got.”

His eyes dance playfully. Behind the dark circles, the corners of his eyes wrinkle as a smile escapes him. “So I’m sitting at the head table as everyone toasts the newlywed couple and I think, wait. I’m the Jerk here. How could I expect that fantasy to come true when the girl I love avoids drama at all cost? She would never do anything like that. And if I had opened my eyes, I would have seen that she gave me an opportunity. An opportunity that I selfishly ignored and placed my own insecurities in front of.”

Another announcement interrupts, but I ignore it, eager for him to finish his story.

“Then, it’s time to dance with my wife, and like a giant wrecking ball that knocks the life out of me, I realize I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life. I married the wrong person because I didn’t think I was good enough for the girl that has consumed me.

“All along my girl said she wanted more. She wanted my heart to beat for only her. She wanted to be the only one I ever thought about. And she is. My heart beat for her the moment I first met her and purposely spilled that tea over her desk. It beat so fucking hard that I had no idea what to do. I have never experienced anything in my life like this. I just refused to believe she could ever feel the same way about me. So I married the wrong person hoping that the Band-Aid would fix the giant hole in my heart.”

“Haden…” I whisper, tears falling down my cheeks.

“It’s always been you, Presley Malone. Even before you even noticed I existed. I just couldn’t handle how intense my feelings were for you. I was going insane.” His voice cracks with pain.

I drop to my knees until we are face to face. Caressing his cheek, I don’t wait for any more signs. I lean in and kiss his beautiful lips. The second our lips touch, a warm electric current electrifies every inch of my body, and I know in this moment that I can never let him go again. I want to fight for him, for us, for our family.

I pull back momentarily, still in close proximity to him. “You said the girl you loved…”

“I love you.” He runs his fingers along the side of my cheek, moving them towards my hair. His grin takes my breath away, and with a gentle whisper, he says, “I love you so much I don’t know how to exist without you. I’m sorry I had to put you through all that to get to this point.”

“I love you, Haden Cooper. I’m sorry I didn’t have the guts to admit that earlier. I was terrified. I’ve never felt so in love with someone as I am with you.”

There, in front on the entire crowd, he pulls me in and kisses me deeply as if no one is watching. His tongue desperately searches for mine and the moment we connect, both of us moan. I don’t care who’s watching us. I never want to stop. This belongs in my catalogue of memories. A moment I want to hold onto forever, because this time, I’m not going to let go of him, and I trust he will never hurt me that way again.

The crowd around us breaks into a cheer and applauds as we pull away from each other, shocked that everyone is watching us; a few are even filming us with their phones.

“I wanted more. But I’m not sure if I’m ready to be a YouTube sensation,” I whisper in his ear, laughing.

“I don’t care if the whole world sees this moment.” He lifts me up into his arms easily like I’m a feather and screams, “I fucking love you, Presley!”

The whistles and cheers don’t stop and I’m waiting for airport security to break up the chaos. Instead they are standing on the sidelines with amused looks on their faces.

Suddenly, it dawns on me that we still have a major problem.

“There’s just one thing,” I remind him. “You’re still technically married.”

He moves his lips onto mine, not answering. He pulls back and the corners of his lips rise slowly in a half smile, partly showing his teeth. There’s a gleam in his eyes and I know he is holding something back. A secret that I’m not in on…yet. Slowly, he moves his hands inside his jacket and like a magician, pulls out two tickets.

“First class tickets to the Dominican Republic. Flight leaves in two hours.”

Huh? The Dominican Republic? How would that solve this problem? My silly, lovesick brain needs a couple of moments to catch up as he waits ever so patiently for the ball to drop.

“OH!” I exclaim. “But my bags and Masen’s stuff are going to L.A. The car is picking us up and—”

Gently, he places his index finger on my mouth. “Sometimes, Presley, life doesn’t go according to plan.”

“You’re telling me. I can’t believe I’m going to get on a plane to fly to the Dominican Republic with a man who got married three hours ago. You’re still a jerk, you know.”

“You still love me for being one.”

Unable to control my joy, I smile back at him. “I wouldn’t change it for the entire world.”

And there, in front of the crowd of strangers, my jerk has followed his heart and mine skips along right beside him.

The trip to the Dominican Republic opened my eyes to a whole new world and a new life I would embark on.

Haden’s mission was to get that divorce. In fact, he made sure it was the first thing on the agenda the moment we landed. Okay, maybe not the very first thing, and I’m sorry Kitty for dismissing you like that. Haden surprised me by flying Gemma and Melissa over. Seeing them at the airport was a huge shock but it didn’t take me long to figure this puzzle out. Masen needed a sitter because apparently we weren’t leaving the room unless absolutely necessary.

I could go on and on about that, but Kitty is delirious and hasn’t been about to talk…or walk. In fact, for the first time in my life, she’s blissfully enjoying life on cloud nine. I mean, how did I not know about all the positions one could have sex in? The former Presley was such a prude, and holy fuck, Haden had a nice way of bringing the kink out of me. I could go on about his piercing and how every orgasm tore through me like a tornado, but what happens in the Dominican Republic, stays in the Dominican Republic.

Of course I knew Haden was far from perfect. Mr. Stubborn and Annoying turned into some jealous alpha during our divorce getaway. He was adamant that every busboy was trying to hit on me and he speculated  that maybe I didn’t look ‘freshly fucked’ enough by my man (his crass words, not mine). We scrapped the idea of having lunch by the pool because he needed his fix. Let’s face it, I didn’t complain…ever.

But I learned a valuable lesson. Life isn’t about everyone or everything being perfect. It’s about the misadventures, the unplanned madness of losing your luggage and being forced to spend travel insurance money and going on the best shopping spree ever.

It’s about sitting at the fanciest restaurant and seeing a rat run past the table, only to end up at the closest McDonald’s in your formal wear.

It’s called life.

Perfection is open for interpretation. Society makes us believe that when you find the perfect man, it’s love at first sight and you say “I do” and buy that dream house. Then you have your two or three kids and live happily ever after.

And guess what? We did the opposite.

Screw a stranger in the alley of a club, fall pregnant, run away with a newly-divorced man to live in a rundown bungalow out of wedlock. This is our perfect.

And from the moment Haden promised to give me more, I finally understood the meaning of living life to the fullest. I understood what it’s like to have no plan and just live for the moment. I didn’t have to become an adrenaline junkie like Haden. I just let fate do its thing. I savored every experience, good and bad, with the man who gave me more.

The man, Haden Cooper, otherwise known as my #Jerk.

 

He’s got that stare.

Those dirty eyes.

Licking his lips in anticipation.

And he’s watching my girl.

She’s oblivious. She always is. Standing across the room, my gaze is steadily on her while she’s talking animatedly with some friends. That dress isn’t helping, and I’m so fucking torn between wanting to see her beautiful body showcased and wanting to belt every fucker who’s looking at her. It’s that fucking slit, the one that rides so far up her thigh, it doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

And I know what every single fucker in here is thinking. I can read their minds. They are thinking the exact same thing as me. They are imagining how perfect her legs would be wrapped around their face. How her huge tits would bounce around as she rode them fast till they blew their load.

But she’s mine. My head starts to throb, slowly forming into a migraine as I struggle to ignore the sadistic thoughts running through my mind. Blame the dress. This ridiculous dress that caused a massive argument between us earlier. Stubborn woman wouldn’t back down, calling me a caveman or some bullshit like that. I just knew what every jerk would be thinking. After all, that used to be me.

The room is dark and slowly morphing into a lions’ den. The beasts are hungry, waiting for their prey to make a move, a wink, even a sly smile. A gesture that will have the beasts moving in leaps and bounds, thirsty for some meat. My eyes dart back and forth. One on the prey, the other watching the beasts. The one on my left…I’m certain it’ll be him. He’s covering his mouth with a bottle but his eyes have never left her. Then, he does the unthinkable. He moves his hand to his crotch and adjusts his cock.

Muthafucker has a hard-on already!

“You alright?”

Lex Edwards is beside me, having just stopped the waiter for a drink. I lose my focus, but only for a second. If it wasn’t for him buying a share in Lantern Publishing, this stupid party wouldn’t be happening.

“Yeah...it’s just….. Never mind.”

He chuckles as if he’s in on some joke. “You’ve got to let it go. Otherwise you’ll drive yourself insane. Trust me, I know. And you should know since you so eagerly tried the same move on my wife last year.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, man,” I apologize.

“So the tables have turned and you’re about to smash every guy in this room for looking at your woman.”

“I can take them out easily. Especially that fucker on the left,” I grit.

“You’ll spend a lifetime fighting it off. You need to find a way to control the jealousy. It’s a balancing act. Let her think you’re cool but never—and I repeat never—take your eyes off the prize.”

I don’t know how Lex is so calm about all of this. His wife is standing next to my girl. The beasts are probably thinking of how to bag the both of them in one go. The waiter returns but not quickly enough. I grab the scotch and down it in almost one gulp. It burns my throat and follows up with a numbing sensation. It doesn’t stop me from seeing red.

“If that’s what I gotta do, then I’ll spend my life fighting every fucker that thinks they can go near her.”

She doesn’t realize what she does to me. To every man in this room. Except for Lex. He’s fighting his own battles, despite being in denial.

It’s been over a year since I made it my mission to crawl under her skin. The woman who drove me to the brink of insanity. And she had no clue either. Because beneath her mass of curls was a hardheaded, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes, feisty woman that rubbed me the wrong way. Boy, did that backfire. I thought fucking her in the alley and leaving her pussy wet with no happy ending would teach her a fucking lesson. It taught me a lesson. You play with fire, you get burned. The amount of shit I did to forget her was all a waste a time.

But I wouldn’t change it.

My son is my fucking life.

And running through his veins is the blood of this woman that consumes me. It’s not just her wild hair that cascades down her back and covers her body like a Greek goddess’. It’s everything about her. The way her big brown eyes stare back at me, drawing me in enough that I could climb into her soul and bury myself there. How her body begs me to take her, whenever and wherever.

Whenever…wherever…

I’ve got it. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?

You did, moron. You’re always thinking about it. This is what happens when you’re in love with a beautiful woman.

I finish the drink in my hand and place it on a table, abandoning Lex without another word. Walking straight to her, I don’t break my gaze until she stops mid-sentence as my body presses against her back. My hands move around her hips and I pull her closer till my cock is nestled in her ass.

Yeah, I’m hard. What’s fucking new?

“Look who’s here. What, aren’t we allowed to talk to your girlfriend?” Kate teases, laughing along with Lex’s wife, Charlie.

“Stop teasing him, Kate. It’s this man thing they all have to do,” Charlie chastises.

Kate rolls her eyes at Charlie. “Yeah, you should know. Your man is over there practically eye-fucking you.”

Charlie scans the room and spots Lex. “Oh…the joys of being eye-fucked. I’ll see you ladies later.”

I don’t give Presley an opportunity to say anything as I excuse us from Kate.

“Haden, what’s wrong? Where are we going?”

Pulling her along, I weave my way in and out of the crowd until we are outside in the lobby. I look to my left, then to my right. There it is. My savior for tonight.

“Come with me.”

Puzzled, she follows me until we are at the lobby desk. There is a bench located in front and I tell her to take a seat.

“Wait here,” I instruct.

At the counter, I pull the young busboy aside and whisper in his ear, “Key to the cloak room.”

I’m hoping he is smart enough to read between the lines since I’m holding out a hundred-dollar bill. At first he watches the people behind me, then takes the cash. “Alright. But you’ve got fifteen minutes, then my boss is back.”

Fifteen minutes. I’ll be done in five.

I make my way back to where she is sitting and grab her hand forcefully.

“Haden, for the love of God what are you doing?” She scowls, trying to release her grip from mine.

With the key in my hand, we make our way to the cloak room. I open the door and switch on the light, pushing her inside. Closing the door behind us, I don’t give her time to ask any more ridiculous questions. I slam my mouth onto hers as I push her against the wall. She clutches onto my shirt and manages to pull away for just a split second.

“We can’t do it in here. What about all the coats?” She panics.

“Fuck the coats. You gonna tease me all night in this white dress?”

“I wasn’t teasing you, I—”

I want my mouth back on hers. Our tongues are in a battle, feverishly fighting until she lets out a deep moan, the one that makes me rock hard, wanting to explode. I don’t have much time so I quickly flip her around, pushing her against the wall again, this time with her back to me until all I can see is that sweet ass of hers. I lift the corner of her dress, exposing one cheek. She’s wearing those French laced panties that made me blow in my pants last time. Fuck. With her skin in full view, I grab my palm and slap her ass hard enough for her to let out a squeal.

“Guess you can’t be quiet, huh?” I mock.

There are fancy coats hanging beside me. Designer labels, probably. I grab the white one closest to me and pull the belt off the coat. It’s soft and will do the job. I take the belt and place it over her head, then cover her mouth. Pulling it back around her head, I tie a knot so it’s firm but not too tight.

Moving her hair away from her ear, I lean in to whisper, “I’m going to fuck you now. It’s going to be hard, and you’re going to scream.”

Her body is waiting, the goose bumps forming along her precious skin. I don’t want to waste any more time and I unzip my pants till my cock is free. I slide my fingers into her panties and feel how soaking wet she is. Fuck me. My girl is ready for me. No more waiting. Just fuck her hard and make her come.

I grab my cock and just the slight touch causes me to moan. Pushing her panties aside, I slide myself in nice and hard, watching her arch her back as her knees begin to shake. I fucking love when her knees shake.

The tightness of her pussy feels like heaven. This is fucking torture…c’mon, your cock should be able to hold out for a couple more minutes.

Placing my hands on her shoulder, I push her against the wall, gripping tight as I continue to thrust into her. Sweat is dripping off my forehead, and unable to control my thirst, I slam harder while I lower my hand against her clit. Such a beautiful clit. It’s perfect…just the way I like it. Pink and swollen. I want it in my mouth. I want everything right now.

But time is running out.

I can’t be a complete jerk.

I loosen the belt enough for her to talk and let her dictate our happy ending by asking her how she wants me to make her come.

“My ass.”

When your girl tells you to make her come by fucking her in the ass, you better pull your cock out of her pussy fast before she changes her mind. My cock is dripping with her juices. I rub the tip and shaft against her hole. Her moans escape and I swiftly tighten the knot on the belt.

I always worried how she would cope with my piercing, but I soon found out that it gave her mind-blowing orgasms. So anal, yeah…that was my favorite fucking style.

I slide my cock into her ass slowly. As soon as I’m fully in, her body gives me the green light. Her skin against mine is making this delicious sound and as I lean in to rub her swollen clit again, my cock goes in deeper and her body shakes instantly. Her wild screams are muffled, but hey, I’m not  Superman. I ain’t got no superpower to stop what’s about to happen…

I’m fucking seeing stars, exploding inside her as the sensations ravage every part of me. I let out a deep, grumbling groan, tightening my grip on her shoulders. I didn’t want to hurt her but the marks I’ve left…they are red.

Our heavy pants echo through the confined room, and with a gentle kiss on her shoulder I ease my way out, slowly causing her to flinch. Untying the belt around her mouth, I throw it somewhere into the pile of coats as she turns around and adjusts her dress.

“You okay?” I ask while helping her with her dress.

With a wicked smile she fixes my shirt and straightens my tie. “If that’s the reaction I get out of you for wearing this dress, then I picked the right one for tonight.”

I stare into her eyes with a stern face. “No, that’s what happens when other men are trying to take what’s mine.”

“We talked about this. You’ve got to control your jealousy,” she reminds me gently.

“No, you talked and I refused to listen.”

“And I told you there’s nothing I can do to stop that from happening.”

Oh, there was something she could do. I just needed to get her home.

“Let’s go home,” I tell her, shutting down our disagreement.

On the cab ride home, she quietly leans her head against my shoulder, trying to stay awake. Her eyes begin to droop; I’ve learned that when you make Presley orgasm, she gets knocked out quick. It was cute, and many times I just have to go for round two with her half asleep.

The lights are off as we walk up the garden path and onto the porch. I fumble for my keys, nervously taking longer than usual.

“You want my keys?” She yawns.

I shake my head, finally getting the door open. She kicks off her shoes at the front door and bends to pick them up. God forbid you leave a pair of shoes at the front door. Miss OCD would have a heart attack.

“Come with me outside.”

“Now?” She yawns again. “I love you babe, but you took it out of me in the cloak room. How about you wake me up in a couple of hours and we’ll go again?”

“I don’t want you outside for that. I want to show you something,” I answer, slightly anxious. “And I’ll take you up on that offer of waking you up.”

She lets out a tired laugh and follows me to the back porch. I flick the back switch that lights up the entire garden. I’m proud of this fucking garden. Who would have thought that Haden Cooper had a green thumb? This backyard was a complete dump when we moved in and I turned it into something amazing. It wasn’t huge. Enough to have a small grass area for Masen and our dogs to run around in. The trees have been trimmed, and because California has warm nights, I decorated with fairy lights so we could enjoy being outside longer.

“Have I told you how much I love what you’ve done with our yard?” She beams.

I lean across to kiss the side of her neck. “Yes. But you can tell me again.”