Page 61 of The Last Thing
“I’ll do it every night if you want me to.”
“Don’t make promises you don’t plan on keeping.”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean. Whether it’s here or at your apartment, I’ll massage your feet, your back”—I wiggle my brows—“whatever you want.”
“You’re trouble.”
“You bring it out in me.”
“You should let that side of you out more. The guy from the carnival—and I don’t mean the Ferris wheel. As soon as you let your guard down, your smile got ten times brighter.”
“That’s because I was with you.”
Cheesy, but it’s the truth.
Her jaw sets as she stares at me, but then something soft filters into her expression.
“It was a special night. But I’m serious. You should let that side out. Let Sophia see it. Let yourself have some fun—outsideof the bedroom.” Her cheeks heat. “I know you have fun in there.But on a regular day… give yourself permission to loosen up a bit.”
I snort at that. “There will be time for that when Sophia is older.”
“Then there will be this baby. Some unsolicited advice… if the only thing you ever do is focus on Sophia—and eventually our baby—all you’ll end up with is emptiness when they live their own lives.”
It’s hard not to glare at her. She hasn’t been through all this yet. She doesn’t understand it the way I do.
“I’m not going to apologize for prioritizing Sophia.”
But Hallie stays completely cool. “You’re not prioritizing her. You live your entire life for her at the cost of yourself. That’s different. And it only leads to bitterness. I’ve watched parents do it. Either live for their kids or live for their jobs so much that they miss out on everything else. Finding balance and maintaining who you are as a person and the things you enjoy are important. Sophia should be your priority, but you should be a priority too.”
Damn.“That’s… insightful.”
She chuckles. “You sound annoyed.”
“No,” I say quickly. “Just… never really saw a difference until you put it like that. You’re right.”
She flips her hair dramatically. “Of course I am.”
I roughly move my thumb along the bottom of her foot, pressing hard.
She throws her head back and groans. “Deck…”
“Call me Wilson,” I blurt.
That’s what I’ve wanted since she walked back into my life, but I’ve been too chicken to ask.
Her gaze snaps to me.
“Deck or Decker is what people who don’t know me as well call me. Sports buddies, the guys I work with. Anyone whoknows me well calls me by my real name. Please, Hallie. Call me Wilson.”
She swallows hard, then leans forward, pulling her legs off me and tucking them under her.
She runs her fingers through my hair.
“Wilson. Hm. I could get used to that. But what about Mr. Decker?”
A low growl slips from me and I wrap my hand around the side of her neck.
“The only time you get to call me that is if you’re riding my cock.”
