“And what’s wrong with that?”
Nothing that she could immediately think of. She scooted closer again but kept away from my torso while I pondered a child-friendly way to explain that my biggest problem was in my mashed melon.
You didn’t bang your head.
I didn’t. So why did I feel like I had?
Someone cleverer than me would know, but Embry was out and I didn’t know where my phone was. Hadn’t for days and days—another anomaly I didn’t fucking understand. I had kids and a 24/7 job. Since Lili had been born, I’d never lost track of my phone.
“Liliana.” Juana poked her head around the door. “Get your shoes on, it’s nearly time to go.”
Lili scrambled off the bed.
“Becareful,” Juana warned.
“I’m fucking fine.”
“You’re an idiot.” Juana gave me the same glare Orla reserved for Cam and disappeared again.
I scowled after her with pure sibling energy. Most days it was hard to remember we’d once been attracted to each other enough to make a baby. Every day I remembered how much I loved her.
Liliana kissed my cheek and dropped my phone on my chest. “See you later, Pápa. I love you.”
“Te amo. Be good.”
At school? No fucking chance, but I always said it just in case she had the urge to be someone else for the day. And because it made her laugh, a sound I’d dreamed of my whole adult life.
She left the room.
Juana came back with the same hard look on her face, watching me heave myself upright as Saint’s cat invaded my space. “I brought Jonah over to keep you company. And you’re a terrible patient by the way.”
“So?”
“So stop it.”
“Didn’t hear you saying that to Nash when he kept hopping up and down the stairs.”
“Then you weren’t listening. Everyone said it to Nash.”
Facts, but the clipped edge in Juana’s tone pissed me off. “Why are you hassling me? I lost my appendix, not my personality. You thought I’d come home someone different?”
A vehicle pulled up outside. I swung my legs out of bed and stood fast enough to nearly send me right back down again. But I fought the white spots dancing in my vision and moved to the window.
Rubi.
And he had Viktor with him, of all people. But I didn’t mind the new Russian, because he wasn’t that new—not to Liliana, and I owed him for all the times he’d kept my kid safe in his legit fucking helicopter.
“It’s just Rubi,” Juana said, reminding me she was there. ThatIwas there when my head seemed intent on spinning away to another planet. “And a hundred other people. Heaven forbid I go anywherealone.”
I planted a hand on the windowsill and swung my wobbly gaze to her. “Where do you want to go?”
“None of your business.”
“Why say it then? I don’t stop you living your fucking life.”
“What life is that? The school run? Or mooching around Tesco with eight bikers watching my every move?”
“They’re there to protect you. And the kids.”