Page 120 of The KING Review

She picks up, and her voice is so bright it almost vibrates.

“Hey, baby, it’s early. Are you—” She cuts herself off. “Is it—you’re calling, so it’s good news, right?”

I laugh, pure reflex. “It’s the best news, angel. It’s done. The review is done, and the university signed off. Custody’s safe, my job’s safe, and Marie can…” I trail off. I want to echo Ellie, but I can’t even say it without laughing. “She’s got nothing left, Neve. She can’t touch us. You and me—we’re clear.”

There’s a beat of silence on the line. I hear her inhale, shaky and loud, and then she lets out this wild, half-sob, half-laugh that goes straight down my spine.

“Oh my god,” she whispers, trembling with tears.

I hear her try to get it together on the other end of the line, but she can’t. My face hurts from smiling. I want to say something smooth, but words are failing me, so I just stand there in the kitchen, shaking like a fool, listening to the woman I love laugh-cry on the phone because for once, the universe has decided not to fuck me.

That’s when Sera comes barreling into the kitchen at Mach two, bare feet slapping the hardwood, curls wild and eyes wide. She runs straight into my legs like she’s trying to knock me down. “Good morning, Papa!”

I scoop her up, tucking the phone between my shoulder and ear. “Hey, bug. Did you sleep well?”

She nods so hard her hair flies everywhere. “I dreamed about dinosaurs and pancakes. Who are you talking to?”

I glance at the screen, then tap the speaker button and set the phone on the counter. “It’s my friend Neve. Wanna say hi?”

Sera’s face lights up like Christmas. She leans so far over, nose practically pressed to the phone, that I almost drop her. “Hi, Neve!”

There’s a sound on the other end of the line, like a squeak and a hiccup had a baby. “Hi, Sera.” Neve’s voice is a little wobbly. “Do you have dinosaur pajamas? I bet you do.”

Sera beams. “Yes! They glow in the dark!”

I could listen to them interact all day. “Hey, Sera, you hungry?”

Her little face lights up. “Can we get pancakes?”

The words are out of my mouth before I even think about it. “You wanna go out for brunch? Just you, me, and Neve?”

“A brunch meeting?”

I ruffle her hair, grinning like an idiot. “Absolutely. Go get dressed, wild thing.”

She’s already gone, a blur of dinosaur pajamas and joy, tearing down the hall toward her room. I pick up the phone, take it off speaker, and bring it back to my ear. My hands are shaking again.

“Hey, angel,” I say, voice rough from trying not to lose it. “Are you ready to do this for real? Let me introduce you to Sera—not just as my friend, but… as my girlfriend. As my person. I want her to know you. I want you to know each other.”

There’s a pause, and then she bursts into tears.

It’s not a cute, ladylike sniffle, either—it’s a full-on, air-raid-siren sob, right into the microphone. I nearly drop the phone, it’s so loud. My heart flares up in my chest, a mix of terror and this pure, idiotic relief that she’s feeling it as much as I am.

She tries to say something, but it takes a few seconds. All I hear is crying.

“Yes, please. Is this for real? Like, actually for real?”

I can’t stop grinning. My cheeks ache. “Hey, I love you, angel. You know that, right? I’m yours.”

“Yes,” Neve gusts out on a laugh. “I love you, too. But I’m afraid, I’ve got some bad news to break to you.”

My heart plummets. “What?”

Neve barely hides a snorted laugh on the end of the phone. “I won the bet.”

Epilogue

Binge-Watch this Moment on Repeat