Page 24 of Falling for Them (Cinderella’s Daddies #1)

Shrugging, I say, “Yeah, well. It’s the anniversary of his death.”

“Yeah.” Tommy sits down on the grass next to me, crossing his legs and staring at Dad’s headstone.

His curly brown hair is a bit too oily, like it’s been a few days since he had a shower. His lips are chapped, his blue eyes dull.

I’m worried about him, but the last time we talked, he was a complete asshole to me, so I’m not sure what to say now.

A long silence stretches between us. I fucking miss my brother, and he’s sitting right here and I don’t know what to say to him. I don’t think I even know how to talk to him anymore.

He sighs. “I was a dick, I think.” With a laugh, he adds, “I must have been, for you to be so pissed at me.”

“Why do you think I’m pissed at you?” I ask carefully.

“I don’t know. The way you’re sitting, maybe.”

I hook my pen to my notebook and let both of them rest in my lap. “Well, yeah. You were a dick, as a matter of fact.”

“Righteous anger suits you, sis,” he says.

“I take it you don’t remember your dickish behavior?”

“Not really.” He runs his hand over his dirty hair. “What’d I say?”

“It doesn’t matter. You’ll just do it again and forget again.”

“Ella,” he says, peering at me.

His blue eyes remind me of Dad’s. I was always jealous he’d gotten Dad’s blue eyes, whereas I got our mom’s brown ones.

Our mother skipped out early, when we were kids.

Apparently that life she had with us wasn’t what she’d had in mind for herself.

We haven’t heard from her in years, and I doubt we ever will again. I’m okay with that.

“Ella,” he says again. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“Yeah, I know,” I say. He always is.

“I got myself into deep shit.”

“You should go to the police.”

“Nah,” he says, “I have it handled, now.”

“Okay.” I don’t believe him, but arguing never did us much good. I’ll never make him see things my way. I wish I could believe him, though.

“How’s your music going?” he asks.

I shrug. “I don’t have a lot of time for it, between my jobs.”

“You’re really good at it, though,” he says. “Dad wouldn’t want you to give up.”

“I’m not giving up. Not entirely. I’m just trying to stay afloat, same as you.”

He nods. “Can I take a look? At your verses?”

“Sure.” I pass him the notebook.

He flips through the pages, his thick eyebrows scrunched together as he reads. After a few minutes of reading, he passes the notebook back to me. “This is really good, E.”

“Thanks.”

“I mean it. Seriously, don’t stop writing songs. You’re great at it. Dad and I, we always loved listening to your songs, and your new stuff is just as good, if not better.”

I press my lips together tightly, unsure of what to say, or if I can even speak past the thick lump forming in my throat. Finally, I choke out, “Thanks, Tommy.”

“Don’t thank me. You’re the talented one.” He leans over and gives me a half hug around my shoulders. “Now. Tell me your favorite memory of Dad.”

Tommy said terrible things to me, and he’ll probably do it again sometimes. But right now, he has apologized.

And he’s the only family I have left.

Kingston

“I feel like an asshole, sitting out here like this,” I say to Sebastian.

He’s sitting in the back of his car with me, his gaze intent on the rundown building that Ella lives in.

We’re parked across the street from the complex.

Sebastian’s driver must think we’re stalkers, but I’m having a hard time giving a shit about what his driver thinks of me.

Once I realized who I am, and the things I like to do in the bedroom, I had to stop caring what other people thought.

But I do care what Ella thinks. And she’s going to think we’re assholes for waiting outside her home like this.

Shrugging, Bash says, “Well, you are an asshole.”

“You’ve always been so tactful,” I say, staring past him. Where the fuck is Ella? I need to see her, reassure myself that she’s all right.

We should never have let so many days go by since the gala. I’m never going to forgive myself for this.

Bash taps out a rhythm on the door’s armrest. He’s probably singing a song in his head. He does this all the time, even when he doesn’t realize it.

“Dude, stop it,” I say.

He frowns, but he stops tapping.

Several people walk past Ella’s building. Every time I see a woman with long, brown hair, my heart gives a funny leap in my chest.

“How long are we going to wait for?” Sebastian asks.

“I don’t know,” I say through gritted teeth. “Forever?”

“Yeah,” he says. “Sounds about right. I’d wait that long for her, anyway.”

Luckily, we don’t have to. “There she is,” I say.

“She looks like she’s freezing,” he says. “She needs a better coat.”

“We’ll get her one, then,” I say absently.

Bash nods, because of course. She’s ours, so she’ll be taken care of. Whatever she needs, it’ll be hers. For as long as she’ll let us pamper her, that’s what we’ll do.

We climb out of the car and cross the street.

“Ella,” I call.

She doesn’t turn—she probably can’t hear me over the loud music blaring from a car that cruises past.

“Ella!” I shout, cupping a hand to the side of my mouth.

She turns. Her brown eyes widen in shock and she freezes in place. “Mr. Tyler?”

I know I should tell her to call me Kingston, but if she can’t call me Daddy in public, well, Mr. Tyler is a close second.

She registers Bash next to me and says, “What are you two doing here?”

“Looking for you,” I say.

She gives a little laugh. “Well, um, here I am.”

“What happened to your phone?” Bash asks her.

“Oh,” she says. “Sorry. It’s not working right now.”

Not an answer. I want to press for more information, but that’s not the main goal of this conversation.

“You left my place in a hurry,” I say.

She looks down. “Yeah, well, Joel—”

“Has nothing to do with us,” I say.

“I figured it was just a one-time thing, anyway,” she says quietly.

“Nope,” Bash says. “I tried to tell you that the other night. What do we need to do to get the message to sink in for you?”

“I don’t know,” she says. “But I have to go to work, so…”

“Go on a date with us,” I say.

“A date,” she says, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.

“Yes,” Sebastian says. “A date. Dinner, drinks, dancing. The three D’s. Well, there’ll be five D’s, in the end, if you count what King and I will bring to the evening.”

Ella’s eyes twinkle with humor. Slowly, she says, “A date with both of you…at once. Like, out in the world, around other people.”

“If it makes you uncomfortable to date us in public, we can figure something else out,” I say.

“Or you can decide to ignore all the fucking social niceties and norms,” Bash says. “You can take what you want. You can have whatever you want, Ella.”

“Every inch of it?” she says, pursing her lips.

I can’t help laughing. Fuck, when was the last time a woman made me laugh like this? She’s intelligent, sexy, and funny, and I know there are other intelligent, sexy, funny women out there. But every time I talk to Ella, I feel like another jagged piece of my heart is getting snapped into place.

“Yeah, princess,” Sebastian says. “Every inch.”

Nodding, Ella says, “I’ll date you in public. I don’t care what anyone thinks, if you don’t. But I don’t have the kind of wardrobe to go to fancy restaurants or whatever. Look at where I live.”

You can live with us , I want to say, but as much as I want to order her ass out of this building and into mine, I know that won’t go over well. Our little girl is brave, but also easily spooked.

“Wardrobe won’t be an issue,” I say. “We’ll go wherever you’re comfortable.”

“All right,” she says. “I guess we can try this.”

Fuck yeah.

“We’ll get you a new phone,” Sebastian says. “So we can plan our date.”

“No,” she says firmly. “I’ll get mine fixed.”

Something about the way her brown-eyed gaze flits to the side when she says it makes me think she’s hiding something from us. We haven’t built the trust so I can force the truth out of her—not yet.

Hopefully soon.

“Friday night,” I say. “Are you free?”

“Yeah,” she says. “I’m free.”

“Not anymore, you’re not,” Bash says. “We’ll pick you up at eight. We’ll go somewhere casual.”

“Okay,” she says. “I have to go now, though—I have work.”

Bash and I both step forward. I cup her soft cheek in my hand, then lean down partway, waiting to see if she wants me to kiss her. Those beautiful eyes grow large and she gives me a soft smile, so I press my lips to hers. Briefly. Just a light touch. When I step back, Bash does the same.

We watch her turn and go into the apartment building.

“I’ve never wanted a woman more than I want her,” I say to Bash.

“Same, King. You don’t have to convince me. It’s her we have to convince.”