Page 70 of And Everything In Between

Paige didn’t look up from the vegetables she was chopping, but he knew she was listening. Her rhythm never faltered.

“And Sienna’s back on her bullshit, trying to get her fingerprints all over the project. Making ‘creative suggestions’ through Darren, like I don’t know exactly what she’s doing.”

The knife paused momentarily at the mention of Sienna, then resumed.

He scoffed. “Had the nerve to say the main build was ‘too sentimental.’ The expensive build would sell more. That car’s the centerpiece. Ain’t no cutting it from the pilot.”

“I can’t wait to see this messy ass bitch,” Paige said under her breath. “Imma show her a thing or two.”

Finally, they made eye contact. He smirked before continuing.

“Spirit says I should walk away if they can’t respect my shit. But this is the biggest opportunity I’ve ever had. A platform to show kids who look like me that they can build something from nothing.”

Paige set the knife down and turned to face him. “Well then, you fight to keep it that way,” she said simply. “Because there’s no show without you. You haven’t had a good feeling about them from the start.”

She moved to him then, took his face in her hands. Her palms were cool against his skin.

“You built your name without them,” she continued. “You’ll keep building with or without them. What’s for you is for you. Maybe this is not the route for you.”

Giovanni exhaled, some of the tension seeping out of his shoulders.

“I’m irritated as fuck,” he admitted.

“I know.”

She guided him to the couch, gestured for him to sit, and then positioned herself behind him. Her fingers found the knotted muscles at the base of his neck as she massaged his shoulders.

“You don’t have to fix it tonight,” she said as her thumbs slid up his spine. “But you also can’t give up or give in. You earned this.”

Giovanni let his head fall forward, surrendering to her touch. And she was right; he couldn’t give this up and he’d been mad promises and muthafuckas were going to keep their word.

“Turn around.”

He did, and she settled onto his lap, straddling him, still working her way down his shoulders and arms.

With her this close, he could smell the coconut oil in her hair, the faint trace of perfume at her throat. Could feel the warmth of her through the thin fabric of her dress.

“I don’t deserve you.” The words slipped out before he could catch them.

Paige stopped, tilted his chin up so he had to look at her.

“Yes, you do. And I deserve you, too. That’s how this works.”

“I ain’t never had a woman I could fall apart around,” he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. “Never wanted to. Until now.”

Her eyes softened at his words, but she didn’t look away. She held his gaze, letting him know he was safe with her.

“You don’t have to be the strong one with me. That’s the point.”

“I hear you, P. But it doesn’t feel that easy.”

“Ok, I’ll be vulnerable with you too. Every time something good happens, I brace myself. Like I know it’s gonna cost me, and it usually does. I spiral. I work myself up. Figure out the solution and execute. I don’t even give people a chance to disappoint me.”

Without a word, he stepped in and folded her into his chest, burying his face in the curve of her neck. Her arms followed, and together they stood, breathing in sync, letting silence speak for them. Her words still echoed in his head;I don’t even give people a chance to disappoint me.And she’d given him one.

He didn’t take that lightly.

Giovanni pressed a kiss to the skin beneath her ear. “Thank you for telling me that,” he murmured. “I won’t make you regret it.”

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