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Authors: Michelle Lynn
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fight she’s seen me get into.
She’s down on her knees at Sam’s side again, but her eyes are on me. “That’s not true.” She’s defensive. “I swear.”
“Is she close with him? And where the hell is your sister?”
She swallows deep, and I watch her panic. “She is. He’s helped me out since she was little, but I swear I’ve always been clear that he’s Uncle Sam and nothing more.”
“Your sister?”
“She disappeared right after I delivered Em. I don’t know where she is. Probably shacked up somewhere half unconscious.”
I close my eyes and inhale a deep breath to gain control. I bend over and pick up the piece of shit, who’s just protecting his spot in my family. My family. I drop him on the couch, and he falls into the cushions.
“Thank you,” Taylor whispers. “I swear he’s a good guy. He’s just hurting.”
I nod, not wanting to hear anything else. I’ve processed as much as I can tonight.
“Are you okay with him here by yourself?” I look around, finding nothing for me to sleep on besides the floor. Not that I wouldn’t consider waking up with a backache in the morning.
“I’m good.”
“I can sleep on the floor,” I offer, but she shakes her head.
“Thank you, but no. He’ll sleep it off, and I’ll drive him home in the morning.”
“I hate that he’ll wake up where I want to be,” I softly say, surprised I’m revealing my envy to her. Taylor moves closer, her hands moving up my face until they mold to my cheek.
“I know it hurts, and I can never fully express how sorry I am for that. I made the best choice I could at the time, but I know now it might have been the wrong one.” Her body heat is so close to mine, I struggle to not grab her and smash my lips to hers.
“We both made mistakes,” I say, hoping we can somehow find a way to forgive one another, because in all honestly, I haven’t forgiven her yet.
She nods. “She has your arrogance.” She smiles.
“I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” I mumble, still trying not to kiss her. Those lips are so full and inviting, the memory of them causes a flash of heat to spread through my body.
“My nurturing side evens it out.” She laughs, and at the sound of her happiness, I yank her into my waiting arms, securing her body to the length of mine.
I kiss the top of her head, smelling the jasmine shampoo I’ve always loved. I smile at the memories that flood into me from just one smell.
“I never stopped loving you,” I tell her, and she looks up at me through her eyelashes.
“You’ve always been sweet.” She kisses my cheek. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Are you clean? I mean, are you still using?”
Her eyes flicker with worry that she’s offending me. I want our relationship to be honest and whole, with no secrets from one another.
“I don’t use. I went into counseling about a month after you left me. I’ve been tested and I’m clean. Promise.” I hold up my hand with the Boy Scout’s salute.
“Okay.”
She slides out of my arms, and I miss her immediately.
“Goodnight, Taylor,” I whisper, my hand fiddling with the door.
A small smile crosses her lips and she remains planted in her spot, watching me leave. Hopefully, she’s afraid if she comes closer, that kiss I’ve been trying to ignore will happen.
I leave the house, shutting the door behind me. She flicks the lock, but turns on the porch light for me to see my way. Small steps . . . baby steps if we need to, but I have no doubt we’ll get there.
Taylor
THROUGH MY WINDOW, I WATCH Brad walk down my driveway to his truck. Sam moans and rolls over on the couch. Brad’s back is stiff as he shoves his hands in the pockets of his jacket—the jacket I’d bought him for his birthday our senior year. I didn’t remark on it, and I wonder if he even remembers. He’d passed out early that night and Piper helped me carry him to bed.
Piper.
I’ve thought about her plenty over the years. She should
She’s down on her knees at Sam’s side again, but her eyes are on me. “That’s not true.” She’s defensive. “I swear.”
“Is she close with him? And where the hell is your sister?”
She swallows deep, and I watch her panic. “She is. He’s helped me out since she was little, but I swear I’ve always been clear that he’s Uncle Sam and nothing more.”
“Your sister?”
“She disappeared right after I delivered Em. I don’t know where she is. Probably shacked up somewhere half unconscious.”
I close my eyes and inhale a deep breath to gain control. I bend over and pick up the piece of shit, who’s just protecting his spot in my family. My family. I drop him on the couch, and he falls into the cushions.
“Thank you,” Taylor whispers. “I swear he’s a good guy. He’s just hurting.”
I nod, not wanting to hear anything else. I’ve processed as much as I can tonight.
“Are you okay with him here by yourself?” I look around, finding nothing for me to sleep on besides the floor. Not that I wouldn’t consider waking up with a backache in the morning.
“I’m good.”
“I can sleep on the floor,” I offer, but she shakes her head.
“Thank you, but no. He’ll sleep it off, and I’ll drive him home in the morning.”
“I hate that he’ll wake up where I want to be,” I softly say, surprised I’m revealing my envy to her. Taylor moves closer, her hands moving up my face until they mold to my cheek.
“I know it hurts, and I can never fully express how sorry I am for that. I made the best choice I could at the time, but I know now it might have been the wrong one.” Her body heat is so close to mine, I struggle to not grab her and smash my lips to hers.
“We both made mistakes,” I say, hoping we can somehow find a way to forgive one another, because in all honestly, I haven’t forgiven her yet.
She nods. “She has your arrogance.” She smiles.
“I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” I mumble, still trying not to kiss her. Those lips are so full and inviting, the memory of them causes a flash of heat to spread through my body.
“My nurturing side evens it out.” She laughs, and at the sound of her happiness, I yank her into my waiting arms, securing her body to the length of mine.
I kiss the top of her head, smelling the jasmine shampoo I’ve always loved. I smile at the memories that flood into me from just one smell.
“I never stopped loving you,” I tell her, and she looks up at me through her eyelashes.
“You’ve always been sweet.” She kisses my cheek. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Are you clean? I mean, are you still using?”
Her eyes flicker with worry that she’s offending me. I want our relationship to be honest and whole, with no secrets from one another.
“I don’t use. I went into counseling about a month after you left me. I’ve been tested and I’m clean. Promise.” I hold up my hand with the Boy Scout’s salute.
“Okay.”
She slides out of my arms, and I miss her immediately.
“Goodnight, Taylor,” I whisper, my hand fiddling with the door.
A small smile crosses her lips and she remains planted in her spot, watching me leave. Hopefully, she’s afraid if she comes closer, that kiss I’ve been trying to ignore will happen.
I leave the house, shutting the door behind me. She flicks the lock, but turns on the porch light for me to see my way. Small steps . . . baby steps if we need to, but I have no doubt we’ll get there.
Taylor
THROUGH MY WINDOW, I WATCH Brad walk down my driveway to his truck. Sam moans and rolls over on the couch. Brad’s back is stiff as he shoves his hands in the pockets of his jacket—the jacket I’d bought him for his birthday our senior year. I didn’t remark on it, and I wonder if he even remembers. He’d passed out early that night and Piper helped me carry him to bed.
Piper.
I’ve thought about her plenty over the years. She should
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