Chapter 10

Tessa left the kitchen so the boys could work on finding Mulan and went into the master bedroom. Sitting on the bed with a huge grin on her face, she watched Lonnie get ready. Lonnie blushed and laughed at her friend.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Lonnie asked as she put on her socks.

"Where did Jay sleep last night?" Tessa asked, looking at the unmade bed and the boxers on the floor.

"Here," Lonnie said slowly.

"And where did you sleep?"

"Here," Lonnie muttered.

"In the same bed?" Tessa added and Lonnie nodded in response, biting down on her lip. "Did you actually sleep, or did you -"

"Tessa!" Lonnie exclaimed.

Tessa giggled and rolled back on the bed. "Forget Hercules, Lonnie, you've got your own demigod making house calls!"

Lonnie laughed and sat next to Tessa. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "I'm scared. Everything I felt for Jay came flooding back the moment I saw him. I can't go through that pain again."

"Then don't. Tell him he has to fully commit to you and to Jaylian this time." Tessa advised.

"He swears Riley faked everything. He says nothing ever happened between them." Lonnie said softly, still unsure about what to believe. "There were a lot of pictures over the years. Do you think she really went to all that trouble to keep us apart?"

Tessa sat up and looked her friend in the eye "Do you trust him?" Tessa was getting to the real question at hand. "If you trust him, then delete the bitch from your life and trust him. Unfortunately, honey, the truth is that you two weren't together and haven't been together for a long time. I know it's hard, but even if any of those pictures were true, it doesn't matter and it shouldn't matter now. Hay wasn't a part of your life then. He is now, so trust him."

"Are you telling me this as a friend, or as a family therapist?"

"I'm telling you this as your friend."

Lonnie nodded as Tessa hugged her tight. "If he goes back to her now that you're back together, we cut off his balls!"

Tessa went off to work while Lonnie drove Jay and Jaylian to the daycare. Walking in the door, Jaylian immediately bounced to the other girls at the front desk and hugged her friends, loudly announcing "My daddy's home to stay!"

Lonnie and Jay looked at each other for a long moment. They hadn't talked about it yet, and could see that they couldn't put this conversation off much longer. "Baby, you need to get to class. Love you!" Lonnie shooed her daughter towards the teacher standing by the cubbies.

"I'm sorry Ms. Li, but you still owe us from last week. She can't stay until you pay for both weeks. I'm really sorry." The lady behind the desk said softly, trying not to let the other parents overhear.

Jay frowned. He didn't realize that Lonnie was struggling financially. Pulling out his wallet, Jay handed his credit card over. "Here, I got it."

"No, Jay -" Lonnie started, but was quickly cut off.

"She's my daughter, too. I'll take care of it… and you from now on." Jay softened his voice, answering her unasked question. He knew that he needed to step up fast and earn Lonnie's trust all over again.

Lonnie nodded and sighed. She was going to need to learn to accept his help. Lonnie had relied on only herself for several years now. Now, she needed to let go and let Jay help. She stepped back and let Jay move to the counter.

"And can you also put me down on the list to pick up and drop off Jaylian?" Jay asked, not waiting for Lonnie to make the move. The woman looked up at Lonnie, then Jay. Lonnie nodded, and the woman pulled out the paperwork. Jay handed over his ID and began filling out the forms.

The other moms and a couple of dads eyed Jay up and down as they walked in. Jay looked at his daughter and her friends being ushered by a into the classroom by a female teacher and smiled. To Lonnie, it looked like that sexy smirk he gave girls when he wanted to get his way. Lonnie watched as one mom smiled back and another one winked at him. It was like watching kids in a candy store eyeing their favourite treats. Lonnie could honestly say that these grown adults were drooling over Jay.

"You're new." One of the moms, a bottle blonde with a dress cut so low Lonnie swore she could see her navel, stopped beside Jay and nudged his shoulder. Jay looked over and watched her blatantly check out his ass. "I haven't seen you here before."

Jay raised an eyebrow at her and glanced at could see that she was getting irritated. There was once a time when she had no fear of anyone else showing interest in him. However, they had been separated for five years and Lonnie wasn't as confident in him as she once was. That needed to change fast. Jay knew this was an opportunity to prove himself.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Lonnie muttered as she watched the other woman literally start undressing Jay with her eyes. Lonnie rolled her eyes as the urge to mark her territory took over.

"Actually, yeah, I just -" Jay started, but was cut off by Lonnie.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe we were together, Sharlene? That maybe he has someone in his life?" Lonnie stepped between them, pushing Jay back away from the hussy in front of her. 'Good grief,' Lonnie thought. 'She's dropping her son off at daycare, not saddling up to a bar.'

"Jealous much?" Jay whispered in Lonnie's ear. He chuckled softly as he filled out his paperwork.

"I'm not jealous. It's a preschool, not a freaking bar!" Lonnie whispered back to him, a little bit louder than she intended to. The woman behind the desk chuckled to herself and turned her back to hide her smirk. "And what happened to wanting to work things out? I thought you wanted -"

Jay supped her face and kissed her softly, cutting her off immediately. "I'm not interested in anyone but you. I promise. You can ask Sian when he gets to the house. You've always been the only girl for me."

"No offence Sian, but dued, you need a shower before we go anywhere," Tyler complained, grabbing his old friend by the arm and turning him towards the bathroom." The guy smelled like smoke and stale beer. "You kissed him smelling like this? God, Ally, you must love him."

"Damn Sian, did you bathe in the booze, or drink it?" Aziz asked as he helped Tyler get Sian to the bathroom.

"He needs to strip first!" Ally called out, but it was too late. She heard the screaming and cussing from Sian as the cold water hit him, clothes and all. Both boys walked out of the bathroom, closing the door on Sian cursing at them.

"Damn it, you guys! I'm gonna kick both your asses!" Sian roared through the door.

"He'll be fine," Tyler said to Ally, who only raised her eyebrows at him.

Ally worked on tidying up the motel room while Sian was in the shower. Tyler stood by the bathroom while Aziz manned the front door. She was nervous about being here. Sian had been through a lot, and they didn't part on good terms. The last thing she wanted was to upset him.

"Hold this!" Sian grumbled when he opened the door, tossing his soaked clothes at Tyler.

He wore only a white towel and with water droplets cascading down his chest, rolling down his six-pack abs as he took the room in fast strides to Ally. Taking her face into his hand, he crushed his lips to hers. He wasn't wasting any more time. Sian wasn't going to lie to her any longer.

Jay and Lonnie got back to the apartment to find their friends working on locating Mulan. Lonnie came out of her room with a box. Setting it on the coffee table, she gestured for Jay to sit with her.

"What's this?" Jay asked as Lonnie pulled out a scrapbook.

"I thought you might like to see this. It's all Jaylian, from my pregnancy until this summer." Lonnie said softly. Lonnie started to get up, but Jay gently grabbed her arm.

"Stay," Jay whispered. He wanted her close. Lonnie smiled and scooted close to him as he opened the thick book. They were greeted by pictures of Lonnie'seach and every one of Lonnie's ultrasounds. Jay felt his heart grow heavier and heavier as he turned the pages.

"Do you remember the Christmas before you left?" Lonnie asked. Jay smiled softly and nodded. It wasn't a holiday he could easily forget.

"That was when you got pregnant?" Jay asked. Lonnie nodded. Jay always knew there had been something magical about that Christmas.

"Something happened that night. More than just us creating Jaylian." Jay said softly. "I feel like you became a part of me that no one can touch. A place inside my heart that will always belong to you."

"I felt that too," Lonnie turned and looked Jay right in the eye. "Jay, do you know what you want?"

"What I've always wanted since the first day I saw you. I want a life with you."