Page 107 of Broken Butterfly
Shoving his hands into his coat pockets, Fallon kicks at an errant dry leaf. “You talked about fixing your house up, making it a good place for a family again. How could I not help make that a reality for you?”
Seeing I’m about to lose it in the middle of the street, Ryder takes gentle hold of my face, his thumbs tipping it up so our gazes lock. “We wanted to give that to you.Pleaselet us give this to you.”
“The house will be transferred to your name as soon as you sign those papers. You can do with the house as you please, but I have a suggestion,” Fallon continues. I take a steadying breath and turn in Ryder’s arms to face Fallon. “I was thinking about New York. About the boys. I plan to offer their mothers jobs at Montgomery Pharmaceutical and help move them down here if they accept my offer.”
“You can do that?”
“Because of my grandfather, I own majority stock. That’s why Patricia and Phillip never hassle me about corporate matters. Say, for example, I suddenly leave the country with a beautiful blond in one of the private jets. As long as the money keeps flowing in and the board is happy, I can do whatever the fuck I want. That’s beside the point. What I want to suggest is that you lease your house. I would cover all of the monthly expenses like rent, utilities, and maintenance.”
I finally catch on. “Fallon, that’s a fantastic idea! Yes! Devon would love it here.”
Devon and his mom could have a good life here. A fresh start. A safe haven. Mrs. Riley, Devon’s mom, is one of the women I spoke with while visiting the women’s shelter in New York. She was abused just like Hailey. She’s a survivor just like me. Fallon’s idea is exactly what I want. It’s exactly how it should be. My heart couldn’t feel fuller at this moment.
I jump on Fallon, giving him a great, big hug, then kiss the shit out of Ryder. “I love you both. Thank you for giving me this.”
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” Ryder says.
“Thank you, Fallon,” I tell him with feeling.
“You don’t need to—” is all he gets out before I break loose from Ryder and grab him, smacking a chaste, yet hard kiss to his lips.
“Shut up, Fallon and accept my thank you.”
“Um… okay. Please don’t kick my ass,” he says to Ryder who bursts out laughing.
“I think it’s safe to say I can let that one kiss slide—just this once. Don’t make it a habit.”
I’m bouncing on the balls of my feet. “Can we go inside?”
Fallon hands me a set of keys.
I text Jayson and Julien to let them know we’ll be late. Ryder, Fallon, and I spend the next hour in my old home going from room to room. The inside has been completely re-done and staged like a show house. New interior paint, completely re-done kitchen and bathrooms, dark wood floors throughout. When my eyes scan my old living room and kitchen, I no longer seeHimor the horror of that night. I see spaces filled with family, love, and happy memories to come.
After exploring every inch of my refurbished home, we cross the yard to the Jameson’s. I run my hand over the swing as we pass by the tree.
Before I get a chance to knock, the front door flies open and Julien excitedly exclaims, “I’m getting married!”
Holy crap!How did they find out, is my first reaction until Julien shoves his ringed hand in my face. “Holy crap!” I say.
I’m about to reach up and grab Julien’s hand to get a closer look when the engagement ring on my own finger starts to figuratively burn a hole through my skin. I deftly push my hand into my coat pocket and slide the ring off with my thumb, feeling guilty as hell with Ryder standing right behind me. How can I tell Jayson about my engagement to Ryder tonight when everyone is celebrating Julien and Elijah’s?
“Liz, get your ass in here!” Jayson bellows from inside the house.
Julien lifts me up and carries me inside while talking a mile a minute as if Meredith has suddenly possessed him. Elijah and Jayson are sitting on the living room couch tipping back beers and have dropped back into an animated discussion. Freda barrels past her husband to kiss my cheek with a “Merry Christmas Eve,” and rushes straight into the kitchen when a buzzer goes off. Ryder hangs back with Fallon, both of them handing their coats to Mitch who hangs them in the closet off the foyer.
“Liz!” two male voices shout out from the couch.
My mind is whirling as the noise of overlapping voices intensifies in the room. Today has been a day of surprises. First getting my car back, then my house, and now this.
“So, will you?” asks Elijah.
I look over at him. “What?”
Julien passes me like a football to Jayson, and memories of them doing this exact same thing in high school spring to mind, notching up my flustered confusion.
“Will you be my best man… best woman… person. Whatever. So, will you?” Elijah asks me, his big puppy dog eyes blinking at me.
Ryder comes to my rescue and extricates me from Jayson’s hold and sits down with me in his lap next to the two of them.
