Page 71 of And Everything In Between

Her stomach growled, loud and undeniable.

“My bad, baby. Let’s eat.”

Later, after they’d eaten and the dishes were done, after she’d made him laugh with stories about how she could never take a nigga with his toes hanging over his slides seriously.

“Yo, you funny ass shit. I know you gave these lame ass niggas a run for their money as a young tender.”

“And DID, but I’m still a young tender.”

“Thank you.” Shifting the conversation again. He ain’t wanna hear or even think about her being with someone else.

She pressed a kiss to his sternum, right over his heart. “Always.”

And as sleep began to pull at him, Giovanni felt something click into place. Something that had been sitting on the tip of his tongue, waiting for the right moment to make itself known.

His phone buzzed on the nightstand. Spirit's name lit up the screen. He almost let it go to voicemail, but something told him to answer.

“What's good?” he mumbled, voice thick with approaching sleep.

“I wanted to let you know Sienna's done,” Spirit said, cutting straight to it. “I told Darren, that he can shove this show up his ass if I even think she’s in your way or in his ear. We done repeating ourselves. I also made it clear that when you say no changes that’s what you mean. No more going back and forth.”

Giovanni sat up slightly. “Good, because I was about to get violent. I was beginning to feel like I was being punked.”

“For real. Darren's problem and nightmare are her only titles now.” The satisfaction in Spirit's voice was unmistakable. A weight lifted from his shoulders. One less battle to fight.

“Good looking out, sis.”

“No problem, I don’t know what you saw in her? She has the personality of wet funky mop. Stank and useless.”

“Yoo, you may have taken it too far.”

“Never. But did your girl make it over?” Spirit asked, switching gears.

“Yeah, she did. Thanks for hitting her up.”

“That's what I'm here for. Someone's gotta look out for you hard-headed ass.” He could hear her smile through the phone. “I like her, Gio. Don't mess this up.”

“Working on it,” he said, glancing at Paige beside him. They said their goodbyes and he ended the call. A small smile played on his lips as he settled back down and felt Paige scoot closer against him. For tonight, it was enough to know that when the world got too loud, she was the quiet he could come home to.

Chapter 18

A Month Later

Something was in the air. Paige felt it. The way her coworkers smiled at her. The way Ashton kept peeking out of her office but also avoiding her. Paige held it together, but her nerves were buzzing. After years of grinding, of staying late and coming in early, of making herself indispensable, she could feel the shift. But by mid-morning, Paige started to second-guess herself. Maybe she was in a good mood. Maybe Giovanni’s texts from last night had her walking around grinning like a fool and not about the promotion.

But before lunch, Ashton stepped into her office holding a crisp manila folder and a bottle of peach lemonade Calypso, her favorite. That’s when she knew. Paige straightened in her chair, professional mask firmly in place even as her pulse quickened.

“I’m not pregnant again, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Ashton teased, plopping down in the chair across from Paige and passing her the folder.

Paige opened it slowly, hands steady but heart racing. Her eyes caught the letterhead, the congratulations, and then the words:

Loan Manager - Offer of Promotion.

“Oh shit.” She breathed it out as her frame stiffened. The words hit her chest before her brain caught up. “This is real?”

“Very real. You earned this. Not just because of how you handled everything while I was out, but because you’ve beenshowing up like a boss since the day you walked in here. I told them you were the future. They finally caught up.”

Paige blinked back tears, lips parting in disbelief. A raise. A title. A team. A new chapter. It couldn’t have come at a better time. She was floating on cloud nine. Things had turned around for her completely. Her dad was getting the help he needed, not stressing her so much by not doing his part, and even her mother’s help eased things off her plate.

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