Just For Christmas (Just Us Series Book 5) by Roxanne Riley

Author:Roxanne Riley [Riley, Roxanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: MMF Bisexual Romance, LGBT Short Reads, Just Us Series, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction, Action & Adventure, Forever Love, Adult Themes, Bachelor, Single Woman, Sensual Story Theme, Hearts Desire, Beautiful & Feisty
Publisher: Roxanne Riley
Published: 2019-12-05T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Emilie

We end up getting take-out and going back to their house, settling comfortably in their living room, just like that first night, eating and talking.

Only this time is different. This time, Drew and Joel aren’t strangers anymore, and this time, I feel like I can pour my heart out. I tell them all about Danny, about adapting to life as a single parent. I tell them about that electric Jeep he wants so badly and how I’d taken on the delivery job to make it happen for him.

And when I show them the photo, both of them smile. “He looks just like you, except for the hair,” Drew says.

“Yeah, he’s got Paul’s curls,” I say with a wistful smile.

“That was your husband?” Joel asks, “Paul?”

I nod. “Yeah. We had been dating for a little while, and my birth control failed. Paul stepped up and “did the right thing,” and we got married,” I explain.

“Did you love him?” Drew asks, then freezes, “I’m sorry, was that a shitty thing to ask?”

I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. And I mean, yeah, I did, it just…” I sigh, trying to think of how to explain, “I loved him, but I wasn’t in love with him, I guess, if that makes sense.”

The both nod in understanding, and I quickly add: “And it’s not like it was one-sided, either. I think Paul and I both knew we weren’t exactly soulmates,” I smile, wistfully, “But we were best friends, and we made it work for our son.”

“He sounds like a good guy,” Joel says.

“He really was,” I nod, “And a great dad, too.”

I stare at a spot on the table, a lump forming in my throat. “It’s kind of hard to live up to that, to be both for Danny, you know? And trying to keep bills paid, and-“ my voice cracks a bit and I clear my throat, closing my eyes to try and will away the tears as the words pour out of me, “I just feel like a failure.”

I feel a hand slip into mine and open my eyes to find Joel’s fingers interlaced with mine. He gives my hand a gentle squeeze of comfort, something he’s done for me before, and it looses a torrent of butterflies in my belly.

“You’re not a failure, Emilie. I can see how much you love your kid, and that’s the most important thing you need to be a good parent. Unconditional love,” he says firmly.

He proceeds to tell me about his own parents, about how when he and Joel were young, they wanted to shout their love from the rooftops, so of course, they wanted to come out to their families.

He tells me about his father grabbing him by the throat and slamming his head against the wall, about how Drew had barely managed to pry the larger man off of him before Joel lost consciousness.

“What did your mother say?” I ask hesitantly, horrified.

Joel’s face goes stony. All while telling the story of his father, he seemed detached, but when he speaks again, I can hear the undercurrent of pain.

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