Page 74 of Once Upon a Beast

I laughed and it felt good to laugh. It felt even better to hold her in my arms. “Well, as long as I know what I’m good for. I might need to keep practicing. I don’t want you to think I’m falling down on the only reason you are with me.”

“Wow, you will look for any reason to sleep with me, won’t you?” She teased and then added, “That isn’t the only reason. You know that, right.”

“Yes. I do. And while you are spectacular in bed, that is only the third reason why I love you.”

“Third? Really?” She laughed.

“There are a thousand reasons why I love you. Most importantly, is how incredible you are. Whatever happens next, we’re going to do this together. Now that I have you in my life, I’m not going to let you go.”

“I’m counting on it. Though you might be smart to get as far away from me as possible. There’s going to be some serious backlash from this. It might not be smart to be associated with anyone who is related to my father.”

“When have you ever known me to be smart? Except when I fell in love with you?” I teased.

“Nic. I’m being serious. My family has caused you enough problems. I just want you to be sure you know what you’re getting when you stay with me. I would understand if you want to get as far away from me as you could.” She looked up at me as she spoke. She meant what she was saying. She loved me enough to set me free, but I loved her too much to let her go.

“Not going to happen. Plus, there is a really easy way to fix that so it won’t be a problem.”

“How is that?”

“You change your name.”

Layla tensed up next to me as my words sunk in. “What are you suggesting?”

“If your last name was, say, mine, instead of yours, then there would be less scrutiny.” I shrugged and gave her a sheepish grin.

“Nicodemus Murphy, are you proposing to me right now?” Her voice held shock and something else I couldn’t place.

“Maybe.” I wasn’t sure exactly what I was doing. All I knew was that I liked the idea and I wanted to tell her.

“That is not the way you propose to me.” She shook her head.

I bent down and kissed her forehead. “You’re right. It isn’t. I’m sorry. When I do, you will know it and it won’t be like this.”

“Good.” Layla leaned her head against me again and we stood there for a few more minutes. Eventually, she said, “We need to go and talk to my father. We need to hear his side. I need to hear what he has to say before this becomes bigger than it already is.”

“Okay. Then we go and talk to your father.” I leaned back and she lifted her head and looked at me. “Together,” I added.

“Together,” she repeated.

Chapter 38

Layla

We agreed to go and see my father first thing the next morning. I called out to work, the first time I had ever done that. This wasn't something I wanted to wait on. I needed to talk to my father, I needed to know why he did this. I needed answers. I needed to do whatever I could to make sure Nic’s father got out of jail.

Nic held me all night. We hadn’t made love but there was still a connection between us that went deeper than sex. I felt it in how he held me, how he looked at me, how we moved as a unit to meet with my father.

We were committed to each other as much as two people could. When he first told me what my father had done, I didn't want to believe it. After Nic showed me the evidence, I knew my father had done it. I couldn’t comprehend that Nic would still want to be with me. It showed what a great man he was and just how much he loved me. He was the best man I ever met and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I vowed that whatever happened I would do whatever I could to make this right for him and his father.

I had always prided myself on being my father’s daughter. I had been devastated when my mother died and I remembered her fondly but it was my father who had raised me. It was my father who had made me the woman that I was. Or at least I thought he had. I thought all the decent and good things I had done in my life were because of him, but now that felt like all a lie.

Nic was helping me see that I was my own person. He didn’t see me as only my father’s daughter. He didn’t look at me and see the horrors that my father had put on him and Atticus. He saw me for who I was and I loved him all the more for it. I didn’t know what we would find when we talked to my father or what our future would be. There were so many things that could go wrong but I didn’t care what happened. All I knew was that I wanted to do it with Nic by my side.

“Are you ready for this?” Nic asked as he took my hand and we headed up to my father’s apartment.

“No, but I can’t sit and do nothing. I need answers and this is how we get it.” I ran my thumb over his hand.

“Yes, and we will get them. Do you want me to do the talking or do you?” Nic asked.