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ZACH
My heart pounds as I lead Hope into my den, and I feel a rare nervousness. My hands shake, reminding me of the time when I made the first deal of my life. This moment is no less important.
It’s a moment of truth.
She can agree to my bullshit or just tell me to go fuck myself. My whole fate will be decided in this zero hour. I get around the table and sit in my chair after she’s taken a seat. My hands curl around the ring box placed on top of my desk two weeks ago.
Her breath hitches when she notices it. “Where did you get that?”
“Gigi gave it to me.” I open the box and nestled inside is her father’s wedding band.
“W-why?” Hope’s voice quivers and her lips tremble.
“She is worried about you and Ray.”
Her eyes fill with tears as she shakes her head. “We’re okay.” Swiping her tears with her fingers, she looks at me with red eyes. “And why did you take it from her?”
“Because I worry about you both too.” I gulp the nervousness before saying, “I...want what Gigi wants.”
“That’s because you don’t know what she wants.” Hope shakes her head, ready to leave.
“I’m not stupid. She gave me your father’s ring because she wants me to marry you.”
My words make her stop, and for a second, she is frozen in a half-standing position. If my insides weren’t fucking shaking, I would have cracked a smile.
“And you…still want what she wants?”
I nod.
“Why?” That one single word comes out with great difficulty in a hoarse voice.
“I want to take care of Ray...and also you.”
“Please don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with me, Zach. Because...I haven’t—"
I almost smile at her horrified expression. “No, I’m not pining for you. I’m not having sleepless nights which involve tossing and turning in bed because I crave you.”
Her eyes widen and face blanches before she swallows. “G-good.”
“But I respect you. I respect the way you are raising Ray, putting him and Gigi above yourself. And you do that without complaint.”
“Every mother does that.” She shrugs, not believing how lucky Ray is to have a mother like her.
“Not every mother is like you. Believe me.”
“And that’s enough for you to marry me.”
“Since Gigi gave this ring to me, I’ve wondered what I want. But when CPS visited Ray, it all became clear. I don’t fucking want a repeat of today. I don’t want whoever the fuck made that nonsense phone call to get another chance and maybe succeed somehow. I don’t want Ray to be away from you, a mother who works round the clock to make sure that her son gets what he deserves.”
Her hands are clutching the edge of the table and a panicked expression pulls on her face. “I can’t lose Ray.”
I circle the huge mahogany table and sit on a chair beside her before grabbing her hands. “You won’t. If you agree”—my head jerks toward the opened ring box on the table—“it’ll never happen.”
“But...what about us? You just said you don’t...love me.”
My hand holding hers shakes, and before she can see it, I pull it back. “Finding love is not for me. Not in this life. But I promise you, Hope, I’ll give Ray everything he desires. He’ll want for nothing in his life.”
“But,” she interrupts.
