#Junkie (GearShark #1)(74)

“Where the hell did this come from?” I wondered as I put it on.

“I gave it to you for Christmas last year.” She stuck her tongue out at me.

It was fitted close to my body and had this huge collar thing. The zipper went all the way to the top of the collar. “Who wears this? Giraffes? The neck is huge.”

“That’s the style.” Her voice was exasperated as she reached up and flipped the ends up. “See, the zipper adds a detail, and the neck turned up like this draws the eye to your face and jawline. It works well with the whole scruffy look you’ve been wearing lately, too.”

Next, she tucked the front of my T-shirt behind my belt buckle and adjusted the front of the vest, leaving it open. “Wear your leather jacket over this and leave the collar up. Add the black boots you have downstairs, the ones with the slight heel, because they will make you even taller.”

I was already six feet. Why I needed to be taller I wasn’t sure, but whatever.

“So all black?” I asked, totally digging the color but surprised she was.

“It’s edgy. Mysterious. It’s actually kinda badass.” She stepped back and studied her handiwork. “Sit on the bed.”

She rushed from the room and came back with that hair crap she bought me and put some on her fingers. Ivy stepped between my legs and styled my hair. I was glad, ‘cause it always looked better when she did it.

“Aren’t they going to have people there to do my hair?” I asked.

She made a sound, and I figured that meant I should shut up, so I did.

“There,” Ivy said and stepped back. “You’re ready.”

“Thanks, Ives. You saved my image.” I pressed a hand over my heart.

“Don’t you mock me, Andrew.” Her finger wagged in my face.

I grabbed my empty mug and kissed her on the head. “I need more coffee.”

At the bottom of the stairs, I headed for the kitchen, but I didn’t make it that far. I noticed Ivy hanging back near the archway, looking into the living room, and I stopped beside her.

I did a good job not physically reacting for a man who felt like he took a deft punch to the stomach. Trent was in the living room with Nova. They were on the floor, playing. There wasn’t anything unordinary about it.

Yet there was.

They were both on the floor with a blanket beneath them. Nova couldn’t sit up very long by herself yet, so she was propped up by this giant pillow-like thing that basically supported her weight but allowed her to sit up. Trent was in front of her, almost on his stomach but with his knees folded under him so his ass was in the air. On the floor between them was a toy car I’d bought her that played some girly song. On top of it was a stuffed lion. Trent was “driving” the car and the lion around in front of her, and she was smiling.

He was making the car sounds and everything, totally engrossed in whatever they were playing. Nova had her fist in her mouth, but her smile was obvious.

As I stood there and watched, Trent gently “crashed” the car into her tiny foot covered in a pink sock.

She laughed.

The sound of a baby’s laugh was probably the most innocent, pure thing I’d ever heard.

“Oh no,” Trent exaggerated. “There’s a pile-up in front of the couch!” His voice was quiet but entirely animated. “Hurry, Nova. He needs a hug.”

T held the lion out to her and wiggled it into her chubby little belly. Nova laughed and reached for the toy. When she had it in her grip, she stuck it in her mouth.

“He doesn’t need mouth to mouth,” Trent told her.

She kept chewing him.

He laughed and brushed his fingertips over the hair on her head.

He slayed me. In every possible way I could be slayed.

I didn’t know how it happened, but somehow, some way, he did. It started as a friendship and grew from there. And now…

Now, watching him, my chest swelled and expanded.

Something about his gentleness, the innocence and pureness with which interacted with Nova, told me exactly what kind of man he was.

A good one. Genuine.

I felt lucky to love him in that moment. I understood exactly why I could. I tucked that feeling deep down inside me, because I was sure I would need it later.

I felt a touch on my middle. I tore my eyes off the sight, and Ivy smiled at me. She patted my stomach and walked away, into the kitchen.

Judging from the way she looked at me, I knew. If she was thinking something about me and T, whatever she saw on my face just now confirmed it.

I walked into the room, and he looked up. “Hey, I see you survived Fashion 101.” He joked.

“Ivy has deemed me fashionably saved.”

He pushed back into a sitting position in front of Nova and looked at his phone lying nearby. “You got enough time to grab something to eat before we go.”

“Did you eat?” I asked, still watching him.

It was like my eyes were starved and he was food. Like the rest of the world was in black and white, but he was in color.

“Nah, I was hanging with midge.”

Ivy appeared with a mug and held it over my shoulder. “You forgot you wanted more coffee.”

Right. “Thanks.” I grabbed it and took a sip.

Ivy came into the room, and Nova’s eyes followed her. “Where’s your daddy?” she asked her.