“Chase, stop, please. You need to leave.”
“No, you need to hold your daughter.” I thrust Hazel at Georgia, not giving her a chance to refuse.
Not wanting her to fall, Georgia grabs Hazel, who clasps on to Georgia, excited to be in her arms.
“You can be mad at me all you want, I deserve it. But this little girl is your daughter. I was wrong for the way I reacted. Your innocence, how you see the world, is what I love about you. It means you haven’t experienced the shitty parts of life, and I hope Hazel grows up with the same outlook on life as her mother.”
She glances up at me with glassy eyes.
“I hope she grows up to be just like you. You’re her mother in every way that counts and regardless of what happens between us, you will always be her mother. You trusted Victoria because it’s who you are. You’re trusting and good. Life hasn’t hardened you yet, and I hope it never does.”
“My good almost got Hazel killed,” she murmurs, choking on a sob. Fresh tears spill down her cheeks, breaking my heart.
“I should’ve paid more attention. I knew the way Victoria was and I pawned the entire ordeal off on you. I knew she would fuck up, and to prove a point, I made you handle it all on your own. I should’ve been your partner. I’m your husband. If what happened to Hazel is anyone’s fault, it’s mine, because I knew what Victoria was capable of and I did nothing to stop the train wreck.”
Georgia shakes her head. “If I hadn’t gotten involved, none of this would’ve happened.”
I step closer to her and run my knuckles down her cheek, wiping her tears away. “You don’t know that. She still could’ve come after Hazel. When someone is on drugs, you can’t predict what they’re capable of.” I wipe a falling tear from under her eye. “I know it’s going to take time for you to forgive me for what I said, but I’m asking you to please come home with Hazel and me. I love you and I’m so damn sorry. I’m a jaded asshole, and I need you in my life to help me see the world with softer eyes.”
She closes her eyes, and I fear she’s going to push me away, but instead she moves forward and into my arms. Hazel giggles, being caught in the middle. I wrap my arms around my entire world. “I’m so sorry, baby,” I murmur into her ear. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“No more apologizing,” she says, resting her head against my chest. “I forgive you.”
Of course she does. Because Georgia is good and pure. She’s the perfect in this crazy, fucked up, imperfect world. I don’t deserve her, but there’s no way in hell I’m ever letting her go.
Georgia
She’s alive. My sweet little girl is alive. When Chase showed up with her, I thought it was some sort of sick dream, but it wasn’t. We came so damn close to losing her, but we didn’t. At first, I was scared to hold her. After the situation I put her in, I didn’t feel like I deserved to. But then he thrust her into my arms and I knew regardless of how I felt, I would never let her go again.
When Chase apologized for the things he said, I had two choices: either hold a grudge or forgive him. Some would choose the former, but I could see the sincerity and apology in his face, in his words, and so I chose the latter. Life is too short and I refuse to live it with a chip on my shoulder. Chase and Hazel are my world and I don’t want to be without either of them.
After eating breakfast at my parents’ place—where Lexi, Alec, and Abigail joined the second I called and told Lexi that Hazel was alive—we head home. It’s odd walking through the door. It’s been less than twenty-four hours, but it feels like so much has changed in those hours. While Chase lays Hazel down for her nap, I glance in the living room, where Victoria attacked me, and a shiver runs up my spine.
“You okay?” Chase asks, when he comes out of Hazel’s room and finds me still standing here.
“Yeah, I just can’t believe what happened. That Victoria is dead and we almost lost Hazel… I could tell something was wrong with her. She was acting weird, like one minute she was on top of the world, telling me about how she’s modeling and giving Hazel an expensive gift, and the next she was in tears. I was trying to call for help when she attacked me. I know you’ll probably think I’m stupid saying this, but I wish I could’ve gotten help in time.”