Chapter 24

Grace

I can’t believe Leo just walked back into my life and I caved. I couldn’t help it, my body can’t resist him.

Or I should say, flew back into my life, because he always seems to arrive by air. Like he’s some kind of god descending from the heavens for me.

And on a whim, I just agreed to move to New York City. And apparently right this minute.

Glancing down at the twenty-year-old couch I’ve been sleeping on, I realize how eager I am to get out of this place. I’ve only been back a week, but it’s a week longer than I swore I’d ever return for.

Charity and my mom are both talking animatedly to Leo, asking him all sorts of questions. I don’t know why he offered them houses, although I’m grateful that he’s going to get my mother to check into rehab for her drinking.

I’ll tell him later that he doesn’t owe my family anything.

As I cram my things into my suitcase, I glance up at the three of them. Charity is crying tears of joy as they discuss having a bedroom for each of her children.

Oh well, if he wants to buy her a house then I guess that’s fine with me. Although I get the impression he’s only doing it as a way to get me to forgive him.

A thought occurs to me as I zip up my suitcase.

“What about my car?” I ask.

Leo turns to me and shrugs. “I’ll buy you a new one when we get to New York. A Range Rover would be ideal for you and the baby.”

“You don’t need to buy things for me and my family. I’m not after your money.”

“I know you’re not, that’s why I want to buy you these things. If you were after my money, I wouldn’t be standing here.”

“Can I have your car?” Charity asks. “Mine is on its last legs and I can’t afford a new one.”

“Do you want a new Range Rover, too?” Leo asks her.

“Oh my God,” Charity says, gasping.

“My girl went and snagged herself a rich man!” Mom announces proudly in a way that can only make sense in her drunken world.

“We should go,” I say, standing.

I rush over to Charity and my mother and give them both hugs.

“Thank you for letting me stay here when I needed you most,” I say as I squeeze Charity.

“Come back and visit sometime, don’t forget about your family,” she says.

“Definitely, I want to see this new house you’re going to build.”

She bites her bottom lip and blinks back more tears. I walk the three steps to the entrance, and open the front door.

As I step through it, I turn back and survey what I’m leaving. A verbally abusive alcoholic mother and a sister struggling to get by. My old vow to never be in a situation like theirs reignites, and I skip down the steps, knowing I’m making the right decision to go with Leo.

Following me out the door, Leo motions to the pilot. Leo takes my suitcase and we climb into the helicopter. The helicopter blades start turning, and soon we are in the air. I watch with no regrets as the small house gets tinier and tinier as we fly away.

Leo meshes his fingers through mine, and my body relaxes. I’ve never been in a helicopter before, and spend most of the flight looking out the window at the Tennessee landscape.

His grip on my hand is so tight, I eventually have to pull my hand away to relieve the pressure. Leo immediately wraps his arm around my shoulder, as if he’s making sure I’m not about to jump out of the helicopter mid flight.

Twenty minutes later, we land in Nashville. Leo’s jet is waiting for us, ready to take us to New York.

Leo takes my hand as I climb out of the helicopter and guides me to his jet. At the bottom of the steps, he presses his body against mine and holds me tight.

“This is where you belong, baby, with me,” he says, and closed his mouth over mine.

As his tongue sweeps over mine, any last trace of frustration and anger at him vanishes from my mind. Somehow being with him makes everything feel right.

Leo presses his lips against mine and he cups the back of my head. Gripping my hair, he pulls away. His eyes bore into mine, and we stare at each other for several breaths.

“I’m scared,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

His grip on my hair relaxes, and he gently smooths it away from my face and behind my ears.

For what seems like an eternity, I wonder if this is really my life. How did I get here? Going with him to New York is my only real option — for the sake of me or the baby. But I also want to go. I want to be with him.

Even if I do barely know him. And the decision I made to move to New York with him, less than thirty minutes ago, was made on a great big whim.

Leo brushes his lips against my forehead and says, “You are doing the right thing, Grace. We belong to each other. We are a family now, and I’ve never been happier. I can’t wait to raise this baby with you. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, and you walked into my life and made my dreams come true.”

My forehead creases as I digest his words. Why is this amazing man being so good to me? And not just me, my mother and sister too.

Is it really possible he feels the same way about me as I feel about him? I muster a weak smile, and squeeze his waist.

“This is pretty crazy,” I say.

“You know, one day you’re going to look back at the moment and laugh. When we’re old and watching our baby graduate from college, and you’re just as radiant as you are right now. I’m going to turn to you and say, ‘I told you so.’”

My cheeks flush and I swallow hard, but am unable to respond. But my insides fill with warmth, and I know with absolute certainty that I’m doing the right thing and that we really do belong together.

Leo takes my hand, and leads me up the steps and into the jet. He sits me beside him this time, and I do up my seatbelt.

The flight attendant, Josephine, appears a few minutes later with my suitcase and stores it in a cupboard.

“Drinks?” she asks.

“This calls for bubbles. Some non-alcoholic fizz, Josephine,” Leo says, his eyes staring into me with a mix of kindness and lust. My body heats in response. I realize just how wet my panties are, the dampness clinging against my skin.

Josephine walks away and quickly reappears with a bottle of Perrier and two champagne glasses. I can’t help laughing at celebrating this major life decision with a bottle of water.

The engines rev, and soon we are accelerating down the runway. I grip Leo’s hand and look out the window, vaguely watching my departure from my home. The home I once swore I’d never return to. Is it too early to make the same promise once again?

At once, the plane shutters and we come to a screeching halt. The force of the sudden stop throws our bodies tight against the seatbelts.