I want forever.
Will he offer it or just end things after we give it a try? Is it even worth it to give him a chance?
Chapter Thirty-Six
Eros
“My favorite girl is here!” I say when Nyx enters my house. She’s holding Nova in her arms.
“Unk Edos,” she screams, extending her pudgy arms toward me.
I grab her from Nyx and fly her around the living room and the dining room.
“I’m a budefly!”
“The prettiest one,” I confirm.
Once we’re done flying, I blow a raspberry on her cheek, and she laughs.
“What do you think? Should we check if there are any treats in the kitchen?”
Her mischievous grin grows when she looks at her mom. This kid is so smart. She knows she can get away with anything when she’s with me.
“It’s too early for sweets,” Nyx reminds us.
“It’s never too early at Uncle Eros’s place,” I say in a soft, playful voice and use the same voice to ask, “Have you thought about ringing the bell before entering, Nyx Andromeda?”
“So you can fake that you’re not around?” she asks. “Nope.”
I give Nova one of the cookies I brought from Costa Rica. “I have a box just for you. I’ll give it to your mom so she can take it home.”
“You spoil her,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“And she loves it.” I smile at Nova, who is eating her cookie with such joy it makes me so happy.
I turn to look at my sister. “What can I do for you?”
“If I ask why you never told us about Liv?”
I tilt my head and shake it. “That’s not up for discussion.”
“Holly told us that you guys met when she was eighteen,” she continues. “That’s a long time. You took care of her and her father when he had a heart attack. Are those the times you disappeared for weeks?”
I stare at her.
“We’re just trying to understand why you kept us in the dark. We tell you everything,” she argues and lets out a loud breath. “She seems important to you. You love her. It’s so obvious that you two care a lot about each other.”
“Your point?”
“I’m here for you,” she says.
“So, you’re not going to tell me I’m an immature man-child?”
She shakes her head. “No. It makes sense why you wanted to be with Misty. As we said, she was comfortable. For some reason, you lost hope.”
We spend the next hour talking about Liv. All the times we came across each other. How things never worked out. It was bad timing, fear, and destiny keeping us apart. I’m thankful that she doesn’t ask me why I never told them about her. Persy mentioned it yesterday. Liv is mine. Us is something we’ve only shared between us. It’s precious.
“I also think she’s afraid that I’d reject her—or let her go,” I conclude. “While growing up, we traveled to different countries all the time, but we were always together—as a family. Yes, we had other issues. Money, insecurities, food… but we knew we had the love of our parents.”
“You think that’s why Callie resented us?” Nyx deviates the conversation. “She wasn’t sure that we loved her because she wasn’t with us from the beginning?”
“I do.” I nod.
Zack, her husband, and I have talked about our relationship with Callie. Ever since we lost my sister, he and I had become good friends. He met my parents and surprisingly likes them—a lot. He’s also my client. It’s strange to think that he became part of the family after we lost Callie.
He understands that we’re not the bad guys in my baby sister’s story. There was a lot of misinterpretation, lack of communication, and not enough time. I want to believe that if we hadn’t lost her, things would’ve changed between us.
“We should’ve addressed our relationship with her years ago,” I say out loud. “At least she brought Zack to our family.”
Nyx gives me a sad smile. We miss Callie, but I think Nyx is the one who misses her the most.
“What are you going to do with Liv?” Nyx changes the conversation.
“I have to show her that I’m here to stay—or go wherever she goes.,” I say everything that I thought about last night out loud. “You heard Holly. I have four months to convince her that I love her.”
“All those women you casually dated?”
“There was no one,” I confess. “You guys assumed. I never corrected you. Persy needed material for her podcast. I gave it to her.”
“It feels like there’s a part of you that we don’t know.” Her voice cracks a little. “As if I’ve been dealing with eighteen-year-old Eros for almost twenty years. But in reality, you’re an adult who doesn’t need me to look after him.”
I shrug. “It makes you happy. Having you looking after me has a lot of perks.” I tilt my head toward Nova. “However, it’s time to let me go and concentrate all your energy on your little ones.”
“You’re the best brother in the world.” She walks toward me and hugs me. “By the way, Nate and I need to run a few errands. Someone’s birthday is getting close.”
“Ha, you just buttered me up so I’d say yes, didn’t you?” I tease her, cleaning some crumbs from Nova’s face. “If you don’t mind me taking her to run my own errands. We’re visiting Liv.”
“Can you bring her home at dinner time?”
“Liv or Nova?” I cock an eyebrow.
She frowns. “You want to drag that poor woman into the Brassard chaos before she says I do?”
“I’ve told her all about you people.”
“I noticed last night.” She kisses Nova’s cheek. “Make sure Uncle Eros behaves, okay.”
“Where’s Nate?”
“He’s at the house measuring the guest room. We’re converting it into a nursery.”
“Where are you having the baby?”
“Here, in Denver,” she answers. “It’ll be easier for everyone. Nova can have a slumber party with Leah while I’m in the hospital.”
“We should pick up Leah and have some Sunday fun,” I suggest to Nova. “It’s been too long since the last time I spent a day with my favorite girls. What do you think? Should we go for Leah?”
Nova claps excitedly. “Leah!”
“Okay, ladies, remember what I told you.” Nova and Leah nod.
I ring the doorbell, pick them up, and make sure they’re the ones facing the peephole. The door opens, and Liv smiles at the girls. “Well, this is a surprise. Are you a flower girl or a delivery girl?”
Nova turns to look at me. “Am buderfly.”
“She’s a butterfly delivering flowers,” I announce.
“Oh, that makes more sense.”
“Who are you?” she asks Leah, tapping her chin. “Are you Leah?”
Leah smiles and nods her head. She shows her the gift bag. “Viz are tookies. I wan one, peas?”