Page 76 of You Saw the Best In Me

Karina is the sole reason they coined the phrase ride or die because she would do anything for Harper and me.

This is who I’ve been waiting my entire life for.

She looked further into the mess of my life, and instead of backing down or playing nice, she jumped in to fight like she had been waiting for this moment.

When we get back to the apartment, the cop car is still outside, and now that Harper is here, my nerves are at an all-time high.

I set the sofa bed for Harper while my girls prepare ice cream sundaes. We all crash onto the couch, putting on a movie. Harper surrenders control of the remote, allowing Karina to choose what we watch.

Great.

They’re both TV tyrants.

We all settle on a classic, Stepbrothers, and even though Karina knows every word, she laughs like it’s the first time she’s seen it. Her nose scrunches when she laughs and sometimes snorts, too, and it’s adorable.

I found myself watching her more than the movie.

“Alright, Harp. Wash up and get to bed. We have to leave early,” I say, turning off the TV and cleaning up our messes.

Karina tends to her cat and climbs into bed, and I wait until Harper is settled before closing the door and joining my woman.

“Hi,” she scoots close, resting her head on my chest.

Hi, beautiful,” I whisper, kissing her forehead softly.

Now that I have her in my arms, my body finally stops feeling like it’s shaking. I panicked all morning while she was working, thinking about the absolute worst-case scenario and counting the minutes until I could hold her.

“I’m so sorry about what I caused with Grams. I should’ve kept my mouth shut and minded my business,” she says reluctantly.

“No, baby girl, you don’t need to feel bad. Grams was being a bitch, and you were incredible. Someone needed to stand up to her. You started it, and I finished,” I say, reiterating that this wasn’t her fault.

I hate when my anger takes control, and when I’m around Grams, it’s already on a short leash.

I don’t want her to see me like that, and I want to promise that it’ll never happen again, but I don’t have blind confidence in myself.

“Was it true?” she questions, and I know what she means.

Grams had no right to bring up my past. How I dealt with my grief wasn’t the best, but she made my pain ten times worse and never acknowledged how terrible she was after Mom died.

“To an extent, yes. Grams didn’t want custody of Harper and me. I was seventeen and had been fending for myself, but a three-year-old was too much responsibility. She tried to fight it, but we didn’t have any family,” I close my eyes, picturing how small and defenseless Harper was.

I was still a kid, but I couldn’t face the adult problems that piled up on my plate. I was alone in the world, drinking anything to forget that sad fact.

Karina doesn’t overstep, letting me process what I want to say rather than rushing an answer.

“Anyways, I would drink from sunup til sundown, hanging with shady people, and I ended up with two DUIs. After the second one, I cleaned up my act. Harper was five, and she needed a big brother when Grams was diagnosed with diabetes, amongst other things. Since then, I’ve worked tirelessly to provide for them, and she’s never shown an ounce of gratitude. Shit has always been rocky between us, and that’ll never change,” I sigh, hating every second of this.

As much as I want Karina to know who I am, this is a chapter of my past I’d rather skip than re-read.

“I’m sorry, Mav. I had to ask. I understand how scary the world can be when you’re left all alone to survive,” she sits up, propping her elbows on each side of me and looking into my eyes.

I smile at her, staring straight into my whole world. Nobody understands me like Karina, and nobody will ever get the chance because I intend to keep her as mine forever.

“I promise you, I don’t have issues with alcohol. Not anymore, at least. You don’t have to worry that I’ll end up showing sides of me that remind you of the past,” she smiles sweetly, listening to every word I say.

One thing about Karina is that she doesn’t judge me.

Every time we share pieces of our souls, she listens to mine intently and finds a way to ensure it brings us closer.