51. CHAPTER 51

51

JULES

It’s been two weeks since Kai was released from the hospital, and things have now gotten into a good rhythm. He’s enjoying work and I’m not going fucking crazy every ten minutes about where he is or what he’s doing. That’s because he checks in with me every day and also shares his location. I may have emotionally manipulated him with the stabbing in order to get him to comply with my stalking, but it calms the beast. Things are also back to normal with Dima and Seb after what happened. When Kai got home, it was a new page, and nothing needed to be said. We were all relieved he was alive and home. The only thing that makes me on edge is the amount of time Kai spends with Aaron. They talk a lot together in hushed conversations and it freaks me the fuck out. Aaron brings out that paranoia in anyone he meets.

“Morning,” Kai says to me as he comes out of the bathroom in just a towel. His body covered in my marks that I rebranded on him yesterday. It’s become a ritual that I would hate to live without. He has a huge smile on his face, that fucking dimple out in full effect, and I’m so tempted to drag him back to bed.

“Morning. Why are you smiling like that?”

“Would you prefer me to be a grumpy asshole like you?”

“Watch it, Kai.”

“Don’t growl at me like that. I’m already late meeting Si.”

“You can relax this weekend, D has given us time off.”

“Time off? Since when?”

“Since I booked the courthouse.”

Kai doesn’t respond at first. With how rigid he’s gone, you might think he’d turned into a mannequin.

“Kai?”

“Wait. Courthouse?”

“You knew we were getting hitched.”

“Errr, that’s news to me.”

“I said you would have my surname.”

“Yes you said that but you never proposed, you only hinted at getting married,” he says, totally bewildered by my thinking.

“Why do I need to propose?”

“Oh my god, you really are a neanderthal,” he says, moving over to me where I still lay on the bed, and straddling me.

“Yep. Then I’ll whisk you away to my cave.”

“Sounds fucking perfect to me,” he says, before kissing me with the sweetest of kisses I’ve ever received. Sappy fucker. I slap his ass to get him to move, otherwise I’ll be inside him again.

“Up. There is stuff I need to do today.”

“Fine, fine,” he moans, as he gets up and walks away to get dressed. When he leaves the room, I grab my phone from the bedside table and bring up Jenny’s contact details. I know Kai is happy, but I can sense he misses his mom. There may be no going back for me and Jenny, but I want Kai to have her in his life still. To know he doesn’t have to choose. That is, if she sees it that way.

I press call and expect for it to go to voicemail, which it does. The beep sounds and I leave a message that I hope will make her come around.

“Jenny, it’s me. Jules. I’m calling for Kai. We’re getting hitched this weekend, and while I don’t give a shit what you think, I know Kai misses you. While we’ll never see eye to eye on this, don’t cut your son off. He needs his mom and I’m sure you need him. Don’t let your issue with me come between you. Call him. Come over and see him. Whatever suits.”

Without saying goodbye, I end the call and breathe a sigh of relief. That part of my life is done, but I know I’ve done all I can to give Kai everything he wishes, even when he doesn’t articulate what that is.

After I’ve dressed, I walk out into the kitchen to hear laughter between Simon and Kai. Call me stupid but I still get irked at anyone who makes him laugh.

“What are you guys laughing about?”

“Ivan. You should see what he’s putting that Tyler guy through.”

“Tyler?”

“The architect,” Kai says.

“Ivan is going all out for a piece of that guy,” Simon laughs, and I smile. Ivan will not let that guy escape.

“I gotta get over to Lev. See ya later,” I say, before giving Kai a kiss and leaving to head over to the main house.

When I locate Lev in the hallway of the mansion, he’s typing a message on his phone with a frown on his face.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“Fucking Aaron, being a pain. Why the hell did I get involved with the fucker?”

“Because you’re a psycho who loves the challenge.”

“That must be it. Anyway, told Kai the news?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you getting married? It’s all so fucking cringe.”

“I want him as mine in all ways, this is the final step. Why? Don’t you want to get married?”

Lev looks at me like I’m mentally unwell and a stranger to him.

“What the fuck do you think? Can you imagine?”

“Yeah. I can imagine some satanic ritual with blood swapping knowing you two,” I say, not totally joking.

“Please don’t give him any ideas or you won’t make it to your own wedding. Can’t believe I have to go to another wedding this year,” he says, walking out of the front door as I follow.

“I called Jenny.”

“Why the fuck you do that?”

“For Kai. Just to give her a chance to make it up to him.”

“Better you than me, she’s a fucking headache.”

I laugh at his dramatics, but he ain’t wrong.

It’s late in the afternoon and we’re finally back home after a long day of shipment issues that me and Lev had to deal with. I part ways with him as soon as we get back, and go straight back to the guards’s house. I cannot wait until we get our own homes. I need some privacy with Kai.

As I walk inside, I see Kai sitting slumped on the sofa in the living room.

“Kai? What’s wrong?”

He looks up at me, his baby blues glassy and bright.

“Mom called.”

Oh shit. I wasn’t expecting her to respond.

“Yeah, What did she say?”

“She wants to meet up halfway. Talk. You called her and told her about the wedding?”

“She needed to see what she’s missing out on. I had to give it one last chance for you.”

“I’m meeting her tomorrow. I need you to know I’ll always pick you, Jules.”

“It’s not about choosing. We can both be in your life without dealing with each other. As long as you know me and your mom are done, then I want you to have whatever kind of relationship you can with her.”

Kai walks over to me and wraps his arms around my neck and buries his nose into my shoulder.

“Thank you,” he says, and nothing more needs to be said.

The next day, I’m pacing around the house. I’ve worked out for an hour with Lev, done some work at the club, and now I’m wearing a hole into the kitchen floor, waiting for Kai to come home. He’s been gone most of the day, and I’m anxious, because I really hope she gave him a chance. I hear the front door unlock and rush around to greet Kai.

“How’d it go?” I ask him as he removes his shoes.

“Wow, can you let me get through the door first?”

“Kai…”

“It went well. She apologized for how she acted. She still doesn’t agree, or as she put it, ‘condone’ what we’re doing, but she won’t mention it again and we’ll just go from there.

“Good. You okay with that?”

Kai grabs my face and kisses me softly.

“Very happy. It’s a huge weight to be lifted, Jules. I love you so much. Thank you.”

“Love you too.”

Finally, the start of our lives together can begin. Fuck anyone who doesn’t like it. I couldn’t give a shit.