“He’s showing my friend around.”
“Oh. Is she pretty?”
“She is, but I doubt he’s noticed. He can’t take his eyes off Ny,” Gio grumbles.
“Can you blame him? I still can’t believe how grown up you are. Come on, make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to eat, drink?”
“I’m fine, we had a big breakfast.”
“I’ll go talk to Ming. We all know Jace is giving her the silent tour.”
We laugh as Gio kisses my cheek and turns to leave. I sit with Ava, not able to remove the smile from my face. It’s so good to see her.
She reaches for my hands. “Are you happy?”
I shrug. “I guess I am now. It’s good to be back with Gio and Jace. I felt like something was missing for so long.”
“I haven’t seen Gio look so happy in a long time. You’ve all been through so much. I’ve wanted to talk to you about what I saw that day.”
My cheeks heat. “That was nothing. We had actually gotten into a fight and Gio and I decided we weren’t mature enough for something like that.”
“That was six years ago. Jace still has feelings for you. Gio knows that as well as I do.”
I sigh. “I’ve been trying to ignore that since I’ve been here. Gio and I have taken our relationship to the next level. I don’t know where Jace fits into that now.”
“You still care about them both?”
“I’ve loved them both all my life. It’s different but the same. I don’t know. Like, Gio has this fire I’m drawn to, while Jace has this comfort that pulls me in too.”
“I get it. You can see the flames that burn between the three of you. They pull toward each other. You know you have different types of soul mates. They’re not always intimate partners. Sometimes they start out as something totally different and grow into intimate partners later.
“I’m not trying to force anything on you, but I wanted to let you know I’m here if you need me. I’ll help guide you as much as I can. Not that I had much success at it, but I want to be the emotional support for you I wish I’d had.”
“You, Mom, and Emil, right? I found pictures of you three.”
“And Lucas. Yes.”
“Oh, I’m not trying to be selfish or anything, but I don’t see another woman in this. We have a bond I want to keep between the three of us.”
She snickers. “I totally understand. Not everyone is the same. What worked for me and your mother doesn’t have to work for you.”
“Can I ask what happened? Why didn’t it work?”
“Lucas wanted to father my children. That was a hard limit for him. The rest of us were okay with a communal family. When we couldn’t agree, things unraveled.”
The wheels start to turn. I know how possessive Gio can be. Would he be okay with me having a baby by Jace?
I do want children someday. I know for sure Jace wants a family. We’ve talked about it enough.
He wants children of his own someday. He’ll make such a good father. His eyes sparkle when he talks about it. I’ve never had that conversation with Gio.
Images of dark-haired little boys play in my head. I would love nothing more than to have a baby with Gio someday. Jace would make cute babies too. Can our friendship evolve into that type of family? I’m almost afraid to even think about it. I don’t want to lose what I have all over again.
“Relax, Ny. Breathe. No decisions need to be made today. The most important thing is to be honest and consider everyone’s feelings. You have to know yourself before you can service a unit.
“Your self-confidence and knowledge of self will mean a lot to who you are to the boys and who they become to you. Gio has a lot to learn about himself, but I think he will surprise everyone.”
I absorb her words and save them for later. I’ve always gotten the impression from Jace as if he’s waiting for something—me to break up with Gio or for Gio to give in. Whatever it is, I have the feeling I will have to face this someday.
“Tell me about this Ming. She’s your friend from back home. What brought her here with you?”
“Gio summoned her.” I roll my eyes. “She’s cool. I trust her with my life. She became a friend when I needed one. You know?”
“I see. What are your plans, Nyla? Are you going to go to college? What are you doing for you?”
I wrinkle my brows. “But I thought you would want me to help Gio. I never thought about what I’d do. I’ve been waiting for your call.”
She cups my face in her hand. “You will help Gio. This I’m sure of, but don’t forget yourself. He and Jace are taking online law classes, why shouldn’t you? You can still do something with your life too. You’re as smart as my son, if not smarter. You can be your own earner. And the best part is, he’s never going to ask you to kick up to him.”