Page 76 of Damien
Shrugging, I focus my attention to her. “How are ya feelin’?”
“When I saw the two of you sleeping, I snuck into the shower. I couldn’t stand the smell of myself, ya know? By the way—you didn’t have to do laundry. I would’ve gotten to it.”
“I wasn’t gonna just let it sit there when I can help, Van. Besides, it’s not a big deal. The sheets should be ready to make your beds, but I didn’t wash your comforter yet. Obviously, Jules wanted to be snuggled, and I wasn’t about to say no to her.”
Vanessa lets out a huge huff of air as she shakes her head. “Why you willingly subject yourself to this crazy is beyond me….”
She doesn’t get it, does she?
“If I can’t handle your crazy, I don’t deserve your calm,” I admit.
This stops her in her tracks. “I mean…”
How can I put it so she’ll understand?
She stares expectantly into my eyes, and I’m lost for a moment in her beauty.
Clearing my throat to refocus my attention, I do my best to explain what she means to me. “What I’m saying is that if I can’t handle you and all that comes with your life, I don’t deserve you when you’re alone with me either. Jules is an amazing girl and frankly, you’re a package deal. Life is messy, I get it. But nothing I’ve seen from either you or Jules—puke included, makes me want to run away.”
“But you have so many better things you could be doing…” she protests.
“Uh… last I checked, the only person I’m in love with is you… and you come with an incredible sidekick… so why would anything else matter?”
Vanessa’s hand flies to her mouth as she asks, “What did you just say?”
Slowly, it dawns on me what I’ve just revealed. Making sure I make my point clear, “Why would anything else matter when I’m in love with you and your adorable sidekick?”
“You love me… too?” Julia’s voice groggily asks, waking from her nap as she stretches in my lap.
Looking her straight in her eyes, I touch her nose as I repeat my words. “Yes. I love you, too, Jules. That okay?”
Within an instant, she pulls herself to a sitting position. “Good. Because I love you, too, Dame.” Then she throws her arms around me in an unexpected hug.
All I can do is hug her back and look at the beautiful yet shocked expression on her mother’s face.
As I look into her eyes, I mouth the words, “I love you, Vanessa.”
Vanessa’s eyes well up with unshed tears.
Is she crying?
Fuck.
Before I can say anything, Jules releases me from her hug, rushes to her mom, and throws her arms around her waist. “Are you feeling better, Momma?”
Blinking heavily, Vanessa continues staring at me. “Yeah, sweet girl. I’m feeling better. Careful though, I’m still a little weak.”
“Oops, sorry,” Julia says as she pulls away.
Hopping up from the couch, I offer, “I have Gatorade if you think you can handle it. It might help to get some electrolytes into your system.”
“That sounds good,” Vanessa admits as she sits in her favorite over-sized chair.
When I return from the kitchen, I offer Vanessa a Gatorade and place containers of Jell-O and two spoons on the coffee table. “If you’re up for it, here’s some Jell-O for you, too.”
Before either can say another word, I excuse myself to use the restroom. While I’m down the hallway, I take the sheets to Julia’s room and quickly make her bed. Just as I’m pulling Vanessa’s sheets from the dryer, I find her leaning against the laundry room door. “You don’t need to do all this.”
“I don’tneedto do any of it,” I admit. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help you. Just how many hours of last night were you hanging on the bathroom floor, while I was sound asleep in my cozy bed?”
