Page 104 of Until the Ink Dries

He pulled me into him and kissed my lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“You spending the night?”

“If you want me to. I brought clothes just in case.”

“You know I want you here, Willow. I promised I wouldn’t pressure you. Even though you went and got an apartment, you always have a space here.”

“I know.” I looked out at Charlie. “She had a moment earlier.”

“A moment?”

“She’s worried I’ll leave and never come back. Then she said something that broke my heart, Benny. She said Tierra didn’t like her. When she started crying, all I could do was hold her and assure her that I loved her and I wasn’t going anywhere.”

Benny ran his hand down his face. “Thank you for that. With everything going on, I appreciate you being consistent with her.”

“Of course. She’s not mine, but that’s my lil’ baby.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I think I should petition the court for full custody. It’s the only way I can fully protect her from Tierra. Even if she gets clean, I can’t trust that woman with my child.”

“You think she’d do it?”

“I would hope so. She’d only use her against me and I refuse to let that happen.”

I nodded. At this point, I could agree with him. I could see Tierra using Charlie as a pawn or doing something spiteful just to get back at him. I hated to say that, especially because she was her mother, but she’d proven she only cared about Benjamin. She didn’t give a fuck about her daughter.

“Do what you have to do. I’ll be right here to support you. If you need character witnesses, I’ve got you. And I know Shirah and my parents would give statements, too.”

“That part, I’m not worried about. I’ve been everything to that little girl since she took her first breath. Me and my parents have always had her because Tierra’s people don’t mess with her or my baby by extension. Even if I had to do this by myself for the rest of my life, I’d eat that cause she deserves the world.”

“She does, but so do you. You deserve peace.”

He smiled as he cupped my chin. “You’re my peace. Just don’t take you away from me and I’ll be good.”

“You’ve got me as long as you want me, baby.”

We shared a sensual kiss. When our lips parted, we found Charlie watching us with a grin on her face. Any time we showed affection to each other, it seemed to do her heart all the good in the world.

“Daddy and Ms. Willow, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes Ms. Willow with the baby carriage!”

Benny snorted. “You funny, lil’ girl.”

“Daddy, if you and Ms. Willow get married, can I have a baby sister or brother?”

I laughed at her plotting on my womb. “You wanna be a big sister?”

“Yes! I promise, I’ll share my toys and take care of them. Don’t you want kids, Ms. Willow?”

“I do.”

“See, Daddy. She said yes. So can I have one? Pretty please?”

Benny palmed his face. “Can we get there first, baby girl?”

She huffed and turned back to the movie. Her father and I shook our heads. Kids said the craziest shit sometimes.

We finished watching the movie and made it halfway through another before Charlie was laid out on the floor, drifting off. Benny scooped her up and went to get her ready for bed while I cleaned up downstairs. When I was done, I grabbed my bag from the car, locked up, and headed upstairs to take a shower.

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