Chapter 22
Dominic
As soon as Vanessa opens the door for me, I instantly raise my eyebrows at how she’s now standing on both her feet.
“You’re walking?” My eyes linger on her bad foot.
“Forget about me. What did you have to say about Penelope? What happened to her?”
Not only is her voice filled with desperation, but her eyes, too. She’s obviously worried.
“I just came to say she’s awake now.“”
Placing one hand on her chest, she places the other one on her hip when she lets go of the door knob.
“You scared me for a moment.” She sighs with relief. “I actually thought-”
“No, she’s going to be alright.”
Curious to see her leg up–close, I step forward and crouch down right in front of her.
7” She takes a step ba
“What are you doing?”
a step back.
“What does it look like?” I reach for the back of her leg.
“You don’t have to do this,”
“Yes, I do. This is definitely good news for everyone who’s been on my neck like I’m your babysitter or something”
When I hold onto the back of her call and squeeze it, I barely hear any discomfort from her apart from a little grunt.
kup
I look up at her and give her a nod. “Looks like you’re okay.”
She only gives a quick nod back, seemingly about to change the topic. “Enaugh about me. When are you going to see Penelope?”
“I’m leaving as soon as possible but I first
t need
d to p
get some toys for her.” I rise to my feet and tower over her.
“Don’t go without me.”
33%
I’m not going to be your babysitter with that bad leg of
that I’m
If you come with me and experience
enough
I’ll be fine. We
breakfast.” She
es her arms.
be your first public appearance as my wife. I expect you to carry yourself in a certain way. You’re not just going to be representing
Chapter 22
blankly stare into mine for a few seconds. Then, she rolls
H
nods while on
part of me actually wishes she still had that leg problem just so she could stay
d her a
that I’ve told
of her bedroom so I can return to
I even open my bedroom door, I can hear my phone vibrate from inside, right on the table where I left it. I
night I told her about Jimmy and she told me she didn’t give
come to me. However, she and I had show up
that she would
Frank, begging him to speak to me on her behalf.
those children with all her heart, but I at least expect her to respect what they mean to me and show a little
I’ll have to talk to her but for now, it’ll have to wait.
blowing up my messages on all my social media platforms, every place she can
same content–countless apologies, but it’s not going
so easy for me to forget.
buttoning up my long–sleeved white shirt and call my father–in–law. While it’s on
has a husband like you,” he says with gratitude from the other end of the line. “Thank you for taking
honest, I didn’t even do
even know how you’ve barely left her side. Thank you so much, my
as I look in the mirror, my
y tone gentle
don’t have to thank me. She’s my
you on that. Have a
You
u too.”
shake my head at what I have to go through just to keep
about how much I care about
I get everything I want, this will definitely
the rest of my
I
of my face. This is my favorite look. I know I’m just going to the hospital but I still
not to have the press outside the hospital but knowing him, he
Chapter 22
make sure I look
about to push the door open when I stop
set the doorknob loose and take a step
you done yet?” I shove a hand in
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!