I Want You Back (Want You #1)(65)

That’s how Lucy caught me, staring at the messy foyer with jealousy and melancholy.

“Jax? Is everything all right?”

I gave myself a mental shake and realized I hadn’t even closed the door. “Yeah. Sorry. I was a little lost in thought.”

“About?” she asked, reaching around behind me to shut the door.

“About when to show Mimi where I’ll—and she’ll—be living.”

Lucy didn’t point out that Mimi would only be living there part time. “Dinner still needs to simmer another thirty minutes. Should we all head up there to take a look?”

“Sounds great.”

Mimi sauntered into the foyer eating a carton of yogurt. “What sounds great?”

“We’re going up to see our new apartment,” I said to her.

Her gaze moved between us. “Mommy is coming too?”

“Of course I am. Finish your snack and we’ll go.”

While we waited for Mimi to return, I dug out my keys and started spinning them around my finger.

Lucy’s hand curled around mine and stopped the jingling. “What’s with the nerves today, sport?”

I could’ve tossed out a half-assed half-truth, but I didn’t. “I want her to like it. I want her to feel like it’s her home too, and not just Daddy’s place where she stays sometimes.”

First her face showed surprise, followed by another reaction I hadn’t seen before—a sheen to her eyes that had me backtracking. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t—”

“Stop.” She moved in and set her hand on my chest. “You’re doing everything right, Jax. She’ll get there, okay? She likes being with you. This move is a good thing because it proves you are settling in.”

“Okay, I’m ready!” Mimi announced.

Lucy and I broke apart. “Let’s go.”

My heart swelled when Mimi reached for my hand as we headed down the hallway. Then she stopped. “We’re going the wrong way. The elevators are at that end.”

“That’s the first part of the surprise.” I held open the plastic curtain that shielded the construction debris, and Mimi and Lucy stepped through.

Lucy gasped. “Is that . . . ?”

“A private elevator? Why yes it is.”

Mimi bounced on her toes. “It’s just like the Barbie DreamHouse!”

I chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but since your apartment is the last one on this end of the building, I had it installed so you’ll be able to leave your mom’s apartment and take this elevator directly to my floor anytime you want.”

“That is so cool! Mommy, isn’t that so cool?”

“It’s pretty unbelievable.”

My gaze snared Lucy’s. “Safety first with her. Always. No one else has access to this elevator. It’s coded so Mimi’s key will only take her to the top floor. And back down to this floor.”

“You had an elevator installed to go between just three floors?”

“It goes down to the first level of the parking garage. The original building schematics left enough space to have two sets of elevators on each floor, so it wasn’t as big a deal to put an elevator in since the shaft existed and we didn’t have to create access to every floor.”

“Can we go up now?” Mimi demanded.

“Yep. Poke the button.”

She did and the door opened.

We stepped inside and I hit door close.

Tight fit. The car could hold maybe two more small people. “Okay, Meems. Poke the button for the fourteenth floor.”

Lucy murmured, “You’re not calling it the penthouse?”

I tugged on her hair and murmured back, “Sassy.”

“Daddy, we’re not moving.”

I held an infrared device in front of her. “Put this on the keypad and then hit the button for the fourteenth floor.”

A green light flashed and we started to move. “My key and your mom’s key allow access to the top floor, your floor and the garage.”

“I get a key?” Lucy said with surprise.

“Of course. You can come up anytime you want.”

She frowned at me. “But what if you’re—”

“I’ve got nothing to hide, Lucy. My partying days are behind me. I don’t want anyone but my family in the home I share with our daughter.”

That’s when Lucy truly understood the message I’d been trying to relay to her. Her eyes widened. “Jax.”

“You will never have to worry about walking in on some of the situations you were subjected to in the past. I promise.”

The doors opened and Mimi sprinted out.

Lucy and I stared at each other.

“I know my promises probably don’t mean shit, so here’s the honest-to-god truth: I haven’t been with a woman since I sobered up.”

Her jaw dropped. “That’s been over three years.”

I said nothing.

“Why?”

“Because meaningless hookups nearly destroyed me. They definitely destroyed everything that mattered to me.”

Those beautiful brown eyes searched mine intently.

I wanted to ask her what she was looking for, but Mimi released a happy squeal and I walked toward her.