“You’re going to hire a stranger to raise Bella while you’re at work?” she asked. “What about what’s best for her? Can you honestly believe that a stranger staying here with her is really for the best?” Trinity sounded like she was accusing him of being a bad father, but that wasn’t true. The way he looked at her, she could tell that he felt that way about what she had said.
“What do you suggest, Trinity?” he asked. Ace sounded pissed and she couldn’t blame him. She wasn’t exactly playing nice, but the idea of some strange person living with him and raising Bella—well, it just rubbed her the wrong way.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No,” he breathed. “You’re right—I don’t want a stranger helping me to raise Arabella. This isn’t how I pictured having to raise my daughter, but Charity left me no other option. Unless—” he paused and she waited him out.
“You could move in here,” he offered.
“Move in here?” she repeated. “I already have a place to live,” she reminded him.
“Right, but you said yourself that it was tiny and in a bad neighborhood. You can see that I have plenty of room here,” he said. “You can practically have your own wing if you agree and that way Arabella will have both of us under one roof. If I have a work thing, you will be here for her, and if the reverse is true, you can work and I’ll be home.”
He looked at her, so hopeful that she almost wanted to agree on the spot, but this wasn’t something she could decide like that. It was something that she needed to think about, consider, and make a decision that would benefit them all. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Ace. You were with my sister—she’s Bella’s mother.”
“She gave up the right to be Arabella’s mother when she dumped her off at your doorstep. Charity left her and I won’t allow her back in my daughter’s life. Arabella needs you, Trinity. She needs both of us,” Ace said.
“But what will people say? They will say that I’m trying to take my sister’s place, her life. I can’t,” she breathed.
“How about you think about it? Don’t answer right now,” he begged.
“Fine, I’ll think about it,” she promised. Trinity sat up in bed and stretched.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m heading home. I have an early morning and I need a few more hours of sleep,” she said.
“You can’t leave now—It’s one-thirty in the morning. Just stay here,” Ace said.
“I can’t stay here,” she whispered.
“Sure you can,” Ace offered. “Just lay down and close your eyes. We’re both adults, Trinity. I promise to stay on my side of the bed.” She was exhausted, especially after the day she had with Bella. The idea of getting into her car and driving across town to her apartment didn’t seem like a very good one.
“Fine,” she said, laying back. “I’m too tired to argue with you and driving home might not be the best idea. Just make sure you keep your promise and stay on your side of the bed, Ace.”
He chuckled and nodded, “I guess now isn’t the time to remind you that you’re in my bed and it’s technically all mine.”
“No,” she breathed. “It’s not. Just behave, Ace,” she ordered.
“Yes Ma’am,” he said around a yawn. “I’ll do my best.”