Page 30 of And Everything In Between (Love By Any Means #3)

Sunday morning brought the scent of shea butter and incense, birds chirping outside as Paige stirred against Giovanni's chest. They'd been inseparable for nearly forty-eight hours now, the room quiet except for the ceiling fan's gentle whir and the faint hum of the TV they'd forgotten to turn off.

They hadn't left the house since Friday night, no phones, no visitors unless they were delivering takeout. Only soft kisses, long talks, full plates, and the kind of lovemaking that untangled things and had a girl making promises she hoped she could keep. A shiver worked its way down her spine, remembering the moments that had her agreeing to all kinds of shit—from five big head kids to possibly moving in. She hadn’t smiled this much in years, nor slept this peacefully either. She’d agree to it all over again.

Giovanni’s voice broke through, vibrating through her where they touched. “How you feeling baby?”

“I’m amazing.”

He stretched, pulled her tighter, and placed kisses all over the side of her face. It was wild, this peace. Unfamiliar but not unwelcome. She’d spent years dodging anything that looked like forever — and here she was, building one.

“Thank you for this weekend. I don’t want it to end.”

“Please. I should be thanking you. I’m a homebody these days, so this? It was perfect. Thoughtful. Food for my soul. And it let me give back to you what you’ve been giving me.”

Paige meant she had an amazing weekend from the bottom of her heart and didn’t want it to end either. If she wasn’t a purse first , ass last type of woman, she’d call out sick tomorrow.

“You better quit being sweet to me before I kidnap you. I’ll get you new books and tacos, Milk Duds every day, hell, I’ll bring the authors too, if that’s what I gotta do.”

“You think that’s a threat?” she laughed, already rolling over to get out of bed.

He grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her, eyes serious now, “Two things.”

“Okay, thing 1,” she replied with a bounce on the bed, hair all over the place.

“There’s a safe in my man cave and in that closet behind you. There’s money, jewelry, bonds, and deeds. If you ever need anything and I’m not here the code is 0328. Thing 2.”

“Oh no you don’t just drop that on me and move on. Are you sure? Why? Vanni...” Words spilled out of her as her mind went a mile a minute. She knew this was big for him. She wanted to make sure she heard him correctly.

“I’m positive. I told you, you solid. I trust you. I see that. Your dad is sick, and things happen outside of that. I’m not always going to be here and if you need to say yes, I don’t want you counting pennies to do it.”

Paige turned her head to hide the tears on the brink of falling. She took a second to get herself together before she closed the distance and pressed her lips to his, morning breath be damned.

“Thing 2?” she asked.

“We should check on your pops before we slide to the shop. I wanna holla at him.”

“Mmhmm,” she murmured, rubbing her eyes. “You makin’ ribs and…?”

“And chicken. Spirit said she’s comin’ through, and I gotta show off a little. It’s time for y’all to meet if you’re cool with that.”

Paige chuckled, finally peeling herself from the bed. “Yeah, I’m cool with that. I’m ready to go ahead and meet your momma, too.”

“That’s a big step now, be careful. You meet my momma, I’m going to assume you tryna be Paige Simone Dowlen and stuck with me forever.”

“I got the code to your safe, so I guess we both taking big steps.”

He nodded. “Yeah, you about to be kidnapped.”

“You’re always threatening me with a good time. I need to get dressed and hide these hand prints and faint hickies so my daddy doesn’t know I’ve been laid up over here being fast. So let me be.”

Giovanni smirked. “But you were laid up bein’ fast, though.”

She tossed a pillow at his head and disappeared into the bathroom. Giovanni wasn’t far behind her. They showered, dressed, and ate a little bit before heading out.

“We need to grab some stuff for the cookout,” Giovanni said as he grabbed his keys. “My fridge is looking desperate after this weekend.”

“That’s what happens when you let a woman in your house,” Paige laughed, sliding her feet into her sandals.

Without even trying, they ended up matching. He was doing it on purpose, anything she had at his house, he provided. It was cute to her. She was in a white sundress, and him in a white tee and ripped jeans, and fresh forces. She didn’t even fuss or ask. She was learning to accept. The end.

The PDA had gotten out of control in the best way, like it was a game they both loved to win.

They walked through the store like they were the only ones there, giggling, bumping hips, singing along to the old-school song playing overhead like they were backup vocalists.

Paige felt like a teenager again, except this time, it was different.

This time, it was puppy love with a big dawg .

Real affection. Real security. Real silly.

Giovanni pulled her into him, arm draped lazy around her neck, mouth at her ear.

“Me, you, chocolate syrup…magic,” he murmured, voice full of sin. She squealed, smacked his chest, and kept walking, still grinning.

That laughter followed them all the way to the car, through the ride, and up the steps of her father’s place. But the second Paige stepped inside her father’s house, everything in her shifted. She stopped abruptly.

Giovanni automatically stepped closer to her, one arm extending slightly to shield her and the other on his waistband.

“Relax. My mom is here.” She hadn’t expected his reaction, but she smiled at his protective instinct, the way he was ready to handle whatever threat might have been waiting. It was both comforting and amusing, given the circumstances.

“Oh my bad,” he muttered, straightening his shirt.

They rounded the corner, and sure enough, her mother sat on the edge of the couch, stirring a cup of tea.

“Hey, baby,” her mother said, standing with a half-smile. “Didn’t mean to spook you.”

Paige blinked, surprised but not mad. “You did. A little. Because what is this, and why am I just now hearing about it?”

Perry grunted from his recliner. “She popped up like a ghost from the past to be a pain in my ass.”

Her mom folded her arms and replied, “I called first. You just don’t check your damn messages or answer the damn phone.”

“Shit all of them damn spam calls make me wanna toss this phone in the street.”

“Please don’t do that. I’ll put you on the do-not-call registry tomorrow while I’m at work.”

Giovanni chuckled under his breath and gave Paige a reassuring touch on the back.

“Perry, how you feeling bruh?”

“I’d be a helluva lot better if I had some cognac and a new body. Hell, maybe a Black & Mild.”

“Dad, get over it. You are never going back to those days. And a Black & Mild nigga be for real right now.” Paige shook her head before turning her attention back to her mother, who had some explaining to do. Her parents were hellbent on driving her crazy today.

“I was going to be on this side of town,” her mother admitted, before Paige could ask feeling eyes on her, “and figured it was time I stopped making a fuss over the past. You’ve got a lot on your plate, and I’m proud of you.” Her voice gained strength.

“I don't want to be just your mother anymore, baby. I want to be part of your team. That's what real love does, it evolves from obligation into choice.”

This was it, Paige realized. The village she'd been building without even knowing it, her mother stepping up, Blake and Brooks when she called, Giovanni making space for everyone she loved. Community wasn't blood or obligation. It was choice.

She swallowed down the emotion before it turned to tears. She was tired of crying, but something had unlocked or perhaps clicked. The pieces on the board were lining up to give her a win.

“She a gah’damn lie. She heard I got Social Security, and she wants that check. I’ll give it to you, Myra, but you gon work for it. And I mean work hard for it.”

Perry might not have been around to see the details, but he recognized the result. The woman standing between him and Myra, strong, carrying weight that should’ve been shared, she’d learned that independence out of necessity. And both her parents had played a part in that lesson.

Her mom stepped closer, “Don’t think this changes things between us,” Myra said to Perry, but her tone was lighter now. “Plus, you owe me nigga, even if that was what I wanted.”

“I’ll handle Sunday and Monday meals,” she told Paige popping Perry upside the head.

Paige felt her throat tighten with gratitude. She hugged her mother without a word.

Her mom nodded into her shoulder. “Just say you’ll live your life. That’s enough.” Her mother looked over at Giovanni, and Paige turned around to look at him also.

“You can thank me by giving me some grandbabies.”

“Ma, too soon.”

Her laughter came first. “You’re out here living, huh?” she said, low and grinning. “You walking funny.”

Myra’s grin was a reminiscent one.

“Ok, Eww. No.”

“We grown, Paige. You got here somehow. I didn’t get you from Amazon or a damn stork.”

Giovanni was cracking up while Paige felt mortified. For a second, she didn't know what to say. Perry mumbled something smart under his breath, and Paige pulled back, wiping her eyes.

“I still don’t like him,” her mom said with a smirk, glancing at Perry. “I love you therefore your problems and struggles are mine too.”

Giovanni stepped forward with that quiet, respectful presence he possessed so naturally. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Giovanni.”

“Oh, I forgot to do that. Shit. It’s too much going on. Momma, this is my boyfriend, Giovanni Dowlen.”

“Boyfriend, hot diggity dog. We did it,” Perry chuckled, slapping the arm of his chair and cheering like a mad man. Paige scoffed softly at her dad and smiled.

“Moving on. Giovanni, this is my mom, Myra Saint.”

Her mother shook his hand, eyes sharp but warm. “She doesn’t need my approval, and neither do you. Take care of my daughter, and we’ll be alright.”