Page 103 of Damien
“Do you know why they aren’t together?” Derek asks quietly.
“That’s the thing. I got the impression they broke things off even before she found out she was pregnant. I’m not sure he’s ever been in the picture.”
“Only you and Vanessa will be able to talk this out and get to the bottom of things. But if she loves you the way I think she does, I’m not sure any of this worrying will be worth it.”
“Fuck, man, I even talked with Jules about possibly marrying her mom this weekend. Did I just give her the biggest mind fuck of all if her mom decides she wants to give Zach a chance?”
“Run that by me again?” Derek demands.
“Jules asked if I had a fiancée, and I told her no. She got upset.”
“What did you do then?” His voice fills with concern.
“She asked what it meant to be a fiancée, and I told her it’s what you call the person you intend to marry. And she didn’t understand you weren’t someone’s fiancée until they agreed.” Then the part about being her dad rips through my mind. “Fuck, man, she completely melted me when she told me she has an Unks but never has had a dad and asked me to be that person for her.”
“Holy shit, what did you say?”
My emotions get the best of me, and my voice cracks when I admit, “I fuckin’ promised her she’d be the first to know when it happens.”
“The only thing you can do, Dame, is talk with Vanessa. Find out what’s going on in her head and tell her how you feel. This isn’t the time to pussy foot around though. You have to lay it all out on the table, so she knows her options. This also means you’re gonna have to suck it up and have the patience of Job, if she needs some time.”
Heavily, I sigh. “I know. But it won’t be easy.”
In my mind, this is the only option, but my heart has zero fucks for being patient. Hell, I’d ask her to marry me tomorrow if I knew it wouldn’t freak her out. This trip has proved nothing but the fact I love her deeper than I’ve ever known. That goes for Julia, too.
“Brother, nothing worth having ever is. If everyone took the easy route, we’d all have Stepford wives. Boring and the same. I’ve seen the way that woman looks at you, as well as her daughter. They love you, too. I’m positive.”
My darkest fear comes to light. “But with Zach back in her life, she may not have room for me.”
“Grandma always says the heart is the only organ that has infinite room for growth,” Derek reminds me.
Leave it to my fucking brother to pull out the big guns.
“Are you still sittin’ in your truck?” Derek asks when I don’t reply.
“Yeah.”
“Get your ass in that store so you can get back to your girls.”
God, the way he says ‘my girls’ makes me want to stake my claim and leave nothing unsaid to Vanessa. She needs to know where I stand and then if I have to, I’ll give her all the time in the world.
Derek continues, “When Jules goes to bed, talk to Vanessa. I’m sure things will work out.”
“Thanks, man,” I say as I turn off the engine and climb out of my truck.
Unexpectedly, he chuckles.
“What?” I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.
“Looks like we’re both at a crossroads, and major change is happening. With Dani getting married, maybe we all are—Davis doesn’t count since he’s not out of college yet. Though, his life is constantly changing.”
“I guess you’re right,” I solemnly admit.
I just hope the path Vanessa chooses, leads to me.
35
Vanessa
