Page 60 of His Playground

“I made an appointment to look at a school tomorrow. Do you want to come with me and Jazzy?” he says, pauses, then adds, “Will you come, please? I don’t know shit about school. I was never good at it, but you are.”

“Of course I’ll come. Does she know?” I ask.

“She’s about to find out. I figure after we check out the school, we can show her the house.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” I agree.

When we get back to the penthouse, Carlo leaves to go and collect Jazzy. I decide to take the time to run a bath and call my friends.

Georgia picks up first. “Hey, what’s going on? Are you in the tub?”

“Yes.”

“In the middle of the afternoon?” She lifts a questioning brow.

“If you knew how filthy I just got, you’d understand why I needed a bath.” I laugh.

“Whoa, hey there, Antonia. Looking good.” Jasper Reid’s face fills the screen.

I point the camera towards the ceiling. Not that he saw anything. I’m completely covered by the bubbles. “Jasper,” I say. “Don’t you have something else you can do?”

“I was doing it, but then you called and interrupted.” He smirks.

“Georgia, tell your boyfriend exactly what my husband would do to him if he knew he was talking to me while I’m in the tub,” I tell my friend.

“Shit. Jasper, give me my phone back. Go and make me a sandwich or something.” She shoves at him. I don’t catch Jasper’s response, but Georgia’s face fills the screen again. “Sorry about that. He’s gone.”

“Since when does Jasper Reid make sandwiches?” I laugh.

“Miracles happen daily,” Georgia hums. “So, tell me every filthy detail.”

“Wait, why is Luna not answering?” I ask.

“She said something about visiting her parents,” Georgia tells me.

“Okay, so Carlo bought a house.” I start with that, and then go on to explain the rest in vague detail.

“You seem happy. Are you happy?” Georgia asks.

“I am. It’s crazy, right? I’m scared,” I whisper, although no one is around to hear me.

“What are you scared of?” she replies.

“When he made me think he cheated, it destroyed me, Georgia. You were there. It made me question my worth. I really thought it was me. That I just wasn’t enough. What if I’m still not enough?” I ask her.

“Oh, honey, you are more than enough, and if he doesn’t see that, he isn’t worth having you,” she says.

“Yeah. You’re right,” I say, even though I don’t feel that way.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“It made me question my worth. I really thought it was me. That I just wasn’t enough. What if I’m still not enough?” Antonia’s voice travels through the bathroom door. Her words, though? They stab right through my fucking heart.

I did that to her. I made her doubt herself. I don’t know how, but I need to figure out a way to fix it. It was never about her.What I did. I did it to protect her. All I accomplished was hurting both of us in the process.

I can’t go back and change the past, but I can be better now. I can show her that sheisenough. That she’s more than enough. She is all I need. The only woman I have ever and will ever love. I just have to prove that to her. Somehow.

Turning away from the door, I leave Antonia to talk to her friend. I don’t know what the fuck I can say to her right now anyway. I can’t find words that seem worthy. And something tells me they wouldn’t help if I could. I need to show her just how fucking important she is to me.