I have become more comfortable with the physical aspect of our relationship. I have never felt more at ease with someone. We have been spending more time with his friends, and they feel like a second family. Grace comes over a lot, and as much as I always shot down the idea of ever wanting kids, that little girl is adorable. She loves Jake, and I can’t get enough of watching him with her.

“Hey, where did you go?” He is standing in front of me holding the plates.

“Sorry, guess I’m still a little tired.”

He places the plate in front of me and then hugs me from behind. “I can take you back to bed if that will make you feel better.” He kisses my neck, and I relax against him.

“I just might take you up on that, after I stuff my face with carbs.” I turn my head to the side giving him a kiss.

“Please eat, you get kind of scary when you’re hungry.” I shoot him a dirty look.

“”The term is hangry, and I cannot control it.” I stick my tongue out at him before I take a bite.

We talk about today and Jake reminds me that he is supposed to help Mason with a new project today. Mason and Brian flip houses, so they need some muscle today, and Jake volunteered.

***

“Hey, babe! Mason is here, you sure you’re okay hanging out with the monster tonight?” Jake calls to me snapping me out of the cat nap I tried to sneak in. I stretch before sitting up to look at him.

Today, I told Jake and Mason that I would keep an eye on Grace. She and I have gotten so much closer over the past two months. My afternoon is going to be filled with cartoons and junk food, and I’m a little bit excited. “Yeah, don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine. I already have Netflix up and ready to go so we can spend the whole day vegging out.”

“You know you’re really good with her. It means a lot to me that you embraced her. I promised Lacey that I would watch out for her and Mason. She would have liked you.” I smile up at him. I can’t imagine losing my mom the way Grace did. It breaks my heart knowing that she doesn’t have someone to do all the girl things with; I think that’s why I’m drawn to her. A knock sounds at the door, and Jake gives me a kiss before opening the door for Mason and Grace.

“Nina!” She runs to me, jumping onto my lap. “Let’s watch Sofia!” I laugh as I reach for the remote and wave to Mason.

“I already had it set up for you, princess.” She is wearing a cute princess dress, complete with a tiara.

“See you later, babe!” Jake shouts from the door.

Mason comes over giving Grace a hug and kiss. “Bye, Angel. Thanks, Nina.”

“No problem.” The boys leave and I turn on Grace’s show. We watch the episode as she tells me about each character and sings along to all of the cheesy songs.

“You hungry? I think I have some popcorn we can make.”

“Popcorn! Yes, pease!” She is beaming at me, and I head into the kitchen to make it for us. As it’s cooking in the microwave, I can’t help but wonder if Jake and I will ever have kids. It’s so far down the road, but it’s something I never even considered or thought I wanted before. The more I’m with him, the more of our life I start to envision. He makes me happier than I have ever been.

When I first met him, I never thought he would be the person to change my life, to make me see how unhappy I was. Carly was right, he did save me. I have been wanting to tell him that I love him lately, but I keep second guessing myself. I don’t know if it is too soon or if he would even feel the same way. I’m terrified of the possible rejection from him. What if he doesn’t feel the same way about me?

The beeping snaps me out of my daydream. I grab the bag from the microwave before everything goes black.

Chapter Twenty Four

Jake

“So, you guys are serious?” Mason looks over at me.

“Yeah, she’s unlike anyone I have ever met, Mase. I was ready to give up before I met her. From the first time I saw her, I knew there was something there. It was like this crazy electricity started flowing through me. I knew I had to have her no matter how much she had tried to push me away.”

“You sound like Lacey. She always told me that she knew I was it for her from the start. For me, I just knew she would save me, and that’s why I avoided her for so long.” Mason lost Lacey about a week after Grace was born. She had cancer and lost her fight. “I can never thank her enough for giving me Grace. That little girl is the only thing that keeps me going some days.”

Mason hardly ever talks to any of us about this stuff, so I almost don’t know what to say to him. “You’re doing good with her. Lacey would be proud of you.” We pull into the driveway, and Mason about jumps out of the car. I can tell this whole conversation made him feel downright uncomfortable. “Jake!” His yell from inside the house has me running. I walk in frozen by the scene in front of me: things are knocked over, and the TV is playing, but no one is watching it. “Grace!” Mason runs upstairs as I go into the kitchen.

There is a bag of busted popcorn on the floor and next to it something that makes my heart stop. Blood. A puddle of it. I pull my phone out calling Ryan.

“Yo, I’m working can I call you later?”

“Get to my house now. 911. Bring whoever you can.” I hang up looking for any clue as to what happened here. I walk back into the living room, and Mason is holding Grace’s doll. He looks at me with murder in his eyes.

“I thought you said shit was good!” He comes toward me. “You fucking said everything would be fine! I would have never left her here!” He’s thinking the same thing I am. Whoever was terrorizing Nina never really went away. “She better fucking be okay, Jake!”

“Mason, calm down.”

He charges me, throwing me into the wall. “Don’t you tell me to calm the fuck down. She is my world! She is all I have left of Lacey!” His hand grips my throat. “I will not lose her!”

“Mason!” I hear Ryan’s voice shout. “Let him go, Mase, and tell me what happened.” I can hear sirens in the distance. Mason releases me, and I double over trying to catch my breath.

“Nina was watching Grace. This is what we came home to.” He turns away from Ryan and walks out of the room.

“You okay, Jake?”

“Yeah, how the hell did you get here so fast?” I rub my neck.

“We were only a couple streets down. What is going on?”

“There is blood and food spilled in the kitchen and the living room looks like this. That’s all I know. We just got home.” My mind races with what could have happened, with who this could be. “We have to find them, Ry.” My hands shake and my entire body is tense. She has to be okay.

A few officers come walking in, and Ryan begins to give them instructions. “Jake, I need you to think. Who would want to hurt her? There has to be motive somewhere.”

“Fuck, I have no idea.” We thought this shit was behind us. After everything that happened with Jaimie, the notes stopped, so no matter what she said I always thought it was her. “Do you think it could be her?”

“I’ll have one of my guys check on her, but my gut is telling me that we are missing something. I need you to think, Jake, who could do this?”

I sit down on the couch trying to figure out any possible scenario that might explain this. I can’t. I have no idea who the hell could have done this. I feel helpless, useless. I feel like I’m failing her. Where ever she is, I know she is praying that I find her. She needs me now more than ever, and I can’t do anything. I stand up pacing the room, anger flowing through my veins at being so helpless.

I always promised her that I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and then this happens.

I need to save her.

I need to make sure that she stays safe at all costs.

Chapter Twenty Five