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“It’s aromatherapy bath gel. You’ll appreciate it more when you’re soaking.”
Da
“Oh my God,” she said. “Would you quit being such a baby and just get in?”
His lips curved into a small smile. “You know what would make this seem a little less effeminate?”
Leah threw her hands up in defeat. “I don’t know. A cigar and a dirty magazine?”
He burst out laughing. “That’s not a bad idea,” he said. “But no, I was thinking it might not be so bad if you got in there with me.”
She put her hands on her hips, shaking her head before she turned to leave the room.
“Where are you going?”
Leah looked over her shoulder. “To get another towel.”
Da
By the time Leah came back to the bathroom, he was already submerged in the frothy bubbles with his head resting on the bath pillow and his eyes closed. She smirked as she stripped off her clothes and grabbed a clip, pi
As she eased herself into the water, Da
“Mmm,” she hummed as the heat of the water began to permeate her muscles. “Nice, right?”
“It’s okay,” he said, and she laughed. Da
Her head fell forward as he continued his ministrations, using a bit more pressure as he worked his way down her shoulders, and Leah groaned softly as he worked out a muscle knot on the right side. “I should be doing this for you. This is supposed to be about helping you relax.”
“Making you feel good helps me relax,” he said, bringing his arms under the water and wrapping them around her waist. He pulled her flush against his chest, kissing the side of her head. “Thank you. I really did need this tonight,” he said into her hair.
Leah trailed her fingertips over his leg under the water. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
Leah nodded, and for a minute they just sat there, her head on his shoulder and his arms around her waist.
“Was there something you wanted to know?” he asked.
“No, not if you don’t want to talk about it.”
Da
Leah chewed on her lip before she said, “Okay, well, I just wanted to know if you knew what the worst-case scenario was.”
“You mean what’s the most time I could get?”
Leah nodded.
“Ten years.”
She closed her eyes, thankful she was facing away from him, because she knew the piercing pain in her chest would be written all over her face. “Is that probable?” she asked weakly.
“My lawyer doesn’t think so,” he said, rubbing his thumbs over the skin of her stomach. “One of the main reasons we copped a plea was to avoid that. Plus, he’s building his entire case around the fact that I’m a respectable person with good standing in the community, that I was blatantly provoked. The more evidence he has to support that, the more likely the sentence will be mitigated.”
“Okay…so what does he think you’ll get?”
“His guess is two to four.”
She should have been happy, or at the very least, relieved. Two to four was so much better than ten. Yet a lump still formed in her throat, and she swallowed repeatedly, trying to clear it before she had to speak again.
“What’s go
Da
She lifted her brow. “You’re giving it to him?”
“For a while, yeah. He’ll run it while I’m gone, and when I get out, I’ll take it back from him. He’s been talking about opening up his own shop in Queens for a while now, so this will be a good experience for him. Plus, the money he’ll make as co-owner will set him up pretty nicely for what he wants to do.”
“Co-owner?”
“I arranged it so he’ll still be giving Bryan’s share to Gram.”
Leah closed her eyes; she didn’t think it was possible to love him more than she already did, but she was wrong.
It grew quiet again as Da
“Was there anything else you wanted to know?” he asked.
When she didn’t respond right away, he said, “Ask me, Leah.”
She took a tiny breath. “What about your apartment?”
“My lease is up this summer. I’m go
Leah nodded as Da
“Are you afraid?” she asked softly.
He took a deep breath, his chest rising dramatically beneath her.
“Yes. But probably not for the reasons you’re thinking.”
Leah turned her head slightly, looking up at him.
“I’m not afraid of being in prison,” he said. “I’m afraid about what will be happening out here while I’m gone.”
“What do you mean?”
Da
“I’ll take care of her.”
He smiled sadly, kissing her head. “You’ve been taking care of people your whole life, sweet girl. You don’t need someone else to look after.”
Leah sat up, turning toward him as she shook her head. “It’s not a burden, Da
Da
“Don’t be. You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
He opened his eyes. “I know you can. You’re one of the strongest people I know, and I really hate that life keeps making you have to prove it.”
Leah swallowed, dropping her eyes to the heap of frothy bubbles between them.
“You’ve been through enough, Leah. You shouldn’t have to suffer through anything else. And the idea that you’ll be suffering because of me…” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “It makes me fucking sick to my stomach.”
“Da
“And what if that asshole starts back up again?” he asked, his voice hardening slightly.
Leah shook her head before he was even done with his question. “No. That’s over. I’m not going to take the easy way out anymore. Honestly, after what happened at Paddy’s, I really don’t think he’ll be coming around again, but if he does, I’ll do whatever’s necessary. I’ll tell my brother. I’ll call the cops if I have to.”
Da
“If you think I’m strong enough to handle this, then what are you afraid of?”
He wet his lips before he lifted his eyes to hers. “I’m afraid you’re go
Leah’s back straightened. “Well, you have no reason to be afraid of that, because it won’t happen.”
“Leah,” he said gently, “there’s not a question in my mind that what we have is real. I don’t doubt it for a second. But your life is going to be put on hold. Years of your life, wasted. For me. Because of me. And I just…I don’t want you to have any regrets.”