I chuckle, holding one hand out to Cece and the other to my new little bestie. “Shall we? My boy needs pizza like he needs his next breath,” I say and turn to see him look up at hearing the word pizza.
“Let’s go!” Lola says and takes off for the door.
36
Winston
“Well that went better than expected,” Cece says, taking her earrings out and placing them on the counter of her bathroom where she looks at me from the doorway as I sit on her bed, watching her.
“It feels… sorta like fate, I guess,” I tell her, and she nods.
“I know what you mean.” She leans against the doorjamb, crossing her arms and pushing her tits together. “Everything feels like it’s falling into place so perfectly. It’s kinda making me nervous after all the shit I’ve been through,” she admits.
I shrug. “Or maybe you went through all that shit so you’d recognize when something good was actually happening, when you’d realize exactly what you want.”
The talk with Nick went okay… good, actually. Sadly, he looked almost relieved when we told him about Corina, and it made me question just how bad it was for him during the times he actually stayed with her instead of her parents’. That was his only concern when it came to the whole situation—would he still get to see his grandparents. I assured him he could see them whenever he wants, and that was that. He was happy beyond measure when he realized that meant he would live with me full-time. His next question had taken Cece and I both by surprise. “Can I spend the night with the girls? We want to play more Minecraft.”
Being a Friday night and no school tomorrow, we didn’t see anything wrong with the idea. In fact, we were thrilled they didn’t want to leave each other’s presence. All four of them squealed in glee when we said yes, albeit Lola’s enthusiasm was more because I’d be staying the night too, which meant we could spend time watching BTS shows she never had the opportunity to watch before, since I have a Weverse membership—an app with exclusive content of behind the scenes and daily life of the band. It might seem silly for a grown man such as myself to have a membership, but it takes me way back to my younger years and my obsession with The Real World on MTV. Plus, I get first dibs on concert tickets and stuff, so boom.
After an hour of spending time with her when we got home from the movie, I ended up just downloading the app on her tablet and signing her into my account, so now she can watch it whenever she wants. And the look she gave me—like I hung the moon and stars—will live in my brain until the end of time.
“So… I’m just going to come out and say it.” I look at her, taking a deep breath. “Whenever the house is complete and ready to sell, I want you and the girls to move in with me.”
Her eyes widen, and she stumbles over to the bed, plopping down beside me with a little bounce. She doesn’t say anything, so I start to explain.
“Any apartment you’d be able to afford on your own wouldn’t be good enough, not what you deserve. And I know you’re all about proving to yourself that you can make it on your own and provide for you girls, but why waste all that money, time, and effort, when I know in my heart that neither of us will be happy until we’re living together.” I take her hand, and she looks up at me, indecision and worry in her eyes. “When I built that house, it was with a big family in mind. So many bedrooms and space to fill with kids, laughter, and memories. And it’s only ever been me and Nick. That house is just that… a house. A big, mostly empty house. And if you and the girls were to move in, it would finally be a home.”
Tears fill her eyes at that, and her lips wobble into a smile. And finally, she puts me out of my misery. “Yes.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Yes?” I thought I’d have to do a lot more begging and convincing, but then it all makes sense when she laughs.
“That house is like… a Joanna Gaines fan’s wet dream. There’s no way I’m giving up an opportunity to live there,” she teases. “Has nothing to do with the hunk who built it and his magical penis.”
I bark out a single laugh. “Magical penis, huh?” I yank her onto my lap, said penis instantly getting hard as she giggles.
“Yes. It’s completely magical. But before I let you show me any more magic tricks it can do, we need to finish this conversation,” she states, absolutely adorable and sexy as hell when she puts her little foot down.