Chapter 107

He doesn’t say anything, and once again I take that as a signal to keep talking.

“Remember when Nick forced me to fire you, and I felt guilty for not quitting my job too?”

“Of course.”

“Do you remember what you told me? You said you’d never ask me to give up something I love. But damn it, Marcus, there’s nothing in the world I love more than you.”

“Gabriela—”

“No. Now it’s my turn to talk. You told me once that I needed to trust what we have. I did. And you were right. Now I trust us. And you need to, too. With or without jail, with or without a daughter—this is real. Damn it, Marcus, you have to believe in us.”

He closes his eyes.

“I do.”

My heart skips a beat.

“Oh yeah? Because I’m not leaving here without you. Or without Ronnie. I don’t give a damn that Nick’s her uncle—I want to be her guardian, Marcus. More than that, I want to be her mother.”

He tilts his head, suspicious.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m sayin