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“I haven’t seen you since Saturday. You okay, love?”

She nodded, that same grin glued to her lips. “Very okay.”

Searching her face, I found the truth of her words in full effect. She looked happy and that made me happy. I hadn’t caught Rome before he left for work this morning, but I bet he had a matching look on his face.

“I made you breakfast,” I told her, squeezing her tighter and adoring the rush of warmth that touching her always gave me. “And cinnamon rolls,” I added before jutting my chin toward the island where her plate was waiting.

“You’re the best,” she whispered, leaving my side.

Her praise made me grin as I filled my new favorite espresso mug. It was only half-covered in hand painted cherries because Goldyn and I had spent the rest of the date making out in the back of my truck. Every time she offered to finish painting it, I turned her down. Because it was perfect just like this.

A few minutes later, Enzo walked in, looking a little more distressed than usual for a Monday morning. The emergency text he received from a client this morning on his way to work out had everything to do with that. In the two hours since then he’d bought a plane ticket, showered and packed his bags.

“Why is there an extra two-hundred fifty grand in my business account, Enzo?” Goldyn quizzed in place of a greeting.

He faced her, snapping the lid on his travel mug of coffee. “There was a grant for new business accounts that opened in Q2. Applications were open all of July. Nobody else applied, so the money went to the last person to join the bank. You joined at the end of June, so it was perfect.”

She screwed up her face. “That’s not how grants work, Enzo.”

“Hmm,” he hummed noncommittally, walking over to grab the back of her neck. “Give me your lips, mamas.”

On command, Goldyn inclined her head and let him cover her mouth with his.

But the moment she pulled away, she asked, “Did you really just sneak a quarter million dollars in my account?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He glanced down at his watch and then over his shoulder at me. “And I have to go if I’m gonna make it to the airport on time. Ready, Sin?”

“You’re leaving?” Goldy’s voice held alarm as her eyes darted between the two of us.

“Emergency business trip. I have to go help my client clean up a mess. In person.” Lorenzo smoothed the frown on her face and kissed her again. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s already hard enough to leave. When I get back, Sin and I wanna take you out. We need to talk to you about something.”

“Why would you tell me that? Now I’m gonna obsess over it until you get back.”

A quiet laugh escaped me at her crumpled expression before Enzo kissed her again and whispered something against her lips.

Whatever he said washed away her frown and turned it into a shy smile as she breathed, “Okay.”

I loved glimpsing the softness he brought out of her. Goldyn was hyperindependent by default, but she melted into him, dropping her defenses enough to just…be. Because she knew Lorenzo had her. I’d been loved by him for a decade and still wasn’t used to the way he made everything so easy by being his naturally dominant self. I loved her with him. I lovedher. I was so in love with her it made me question if we’d known each other in a past life because she felt so familiar.

Goldyn fit in with us like a missing piece we never knew we needed. She felt like a part of our family even though it’d only been a little over a month and I never wanted to go back to being without her.

Quieting those thoughts, I pushed off the counter and walked over to her.

“I’ll be back in a few hours, love,” I told her as Enzo gathered his bags and walked to the front of the house.

“Be safe,” she said against my mouth when I bent to kiss her.

As we pulled out of the driveway, my mind obsessed over how good it felt to know she would be waiting for me when I got back. Our home was exactly where Goldy belonged. For good.

Goldyn

Endometriosis, you raggedy bitch.

I hadn’t dealt with this ho in nine weeks and she wanted to show up on a random Wednesday and terrorize me with cramps from the blazing pits of hell. On the day I was supposed to go kayaking with Sincere. Instead of getting my sunscreen and snacks together, I was doubled over in the bathroom with tears streaming down my face.

Sweat dotted my forehead from the intensity of the pain. It felt like someone had wrapped their fist in barbwire and was going to town with my insides. I hadn’t even started bleeding yet, but I couldn’t move. Couldn’t do anything past wincing and gripping the bathroom sink until my hand shook and my knuckles turned white.

There was no way I was getting in a cramped kayak when I couldn’t even stand up straight without wanting to faint. Grabbing my phone, I walked into the guest bedroom and curled into a ball near the foot of the bed. I couldn’t be bothered to move toward the pillows. I just needed a break from being upright and I would worry about my position on the bed later.