All Chapters of The Wrong Bernardi: Chapter 121 - Chapter 128

“Do what?”“Turn this into a morality trial over who’s worse in your family. The competition is too tight.”His jaw shifted. “I’m not going to leave him.”“You’re going to marry someone else.”“That’s not the same thing.”“To a four-year-old?” I raised an eyebrow. “Good luck explaining that nuance after you tell him, surprise, I’m your Daddy, and then two months later Mami has to go to the venue to make sure Daddy marries Miss Sunshine with a seven-figure floral budget.”The name made something move across his face.Gracie.Finally.Someone else real in this conversation.Not just a conceptual obstacle.A woman who had once brought almond croissants as a peace offering and stood in front of a mirror in a wedding dress asking me if it was pathetic to want her fiancé to go out to dinner with her without his phone. A nice woman.I rubbed my thumb over my lower lip, then dropped my hand. “And before you say you can split your time, don’t.”“I haven’t said anything.”“I know how rich men t

I found them at the pool seven minutes later.Seven minutes had been enough for Aiden to change clothes, put on a swim vest that could probably fit a kid two grades above him, wear his goggles upside down for the second time that day, and decide that Rhysand’s private pool was now the official venue for aquatic Formula One.“GO!” Aiden pushed off the wall with both little feet.Or, more accurately, tried to.His body moved maybe a foot before the blue vest popped him back to the surface like an expensive cork, while Rhysand, who was in the imaginary lane beside him, hadn’t even started swimming yet.I stopped at the glass door.Elma sat at the edge of the pool with both feet in the water, sunscreen beside her. She looked at me. “I tried fixing his goggles.”“I believe you.”“He said aerodynamics.”I looked at my son.The goggles were still upside down.“He’s swimming.” Elma shrugged.“AIDEN.”He turned in the middle of the pool. “Mami!”“Your goggles.”“They’re good!”“They’re upside

Afternoon settled slowly over Rhysand’s house, bringing golden light through the tall windows of the living room and making everything look calmer than it actually was.Aiden had finally crashed. Not gracefully.He’d spent almost an hour in the pool claiming three illegal victories, using Rhysand’s head as transportation, swallowing half a glass of water because he’d tried blowing bubbles while talking, then refusing to admit he was tired until his own body staged an intervention.Now he was asleep on his side across the long light-gray sofa, his black hair still damp and falling messily over his forehead, his cheeks flushed from the sun and swimming, one small leg tucked beneath him while both arms wrapped around a large cream pillow that probably cost enough to cover several months of electricity at my first apartment.The pillow belonged to him now. I could tell by the way he was hugging it like if anyone tried to take it, his lawyer would call.I sat on the sofa across from him wi

After dinner, Aiden once again experienced something he had considered a personal insult for the past four and a half years.Sleepiness.He sat in his chair with his chin almost touching his chest, still holding half a roasted potato that hadn’t moved in maybe two minutes. His black hair was still slightly damp from his bath, his bangs falling softly over his forehead, his cheeks pink and warm after a full day of swimming, running, arguing, eating, then swimming again like his small body had signed a contract with chaos.“Aiden.”His eyes opened a little. “Hm?”“You’re asleep.”“No.”“Your eyes are closed.”“I’m thinking.”“With your mouth open?”He immediately closed it.Elma laughed from across the table.Aiden lifted his head with an amount of effort that looked extremely expensive, then turned to Rhysand, who had changed back into a white shirt and dark pants five minutes ago, his hair neat again, his face far too handsome for a man who had been used as a horse a few hours earlier