Bad Love by Piper Lawson

Author:Piper Lawson [Lawson, Piper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Piper Lawson

* * *

Hunter: How's your mom?

* * *

Kendall: They think she’ll be okay.

* * *

Kendall: How are things with you? I'm sorry I'm running behind.

* * *

Hunter: We're fine. Don’t rush.

* * *

Relief and gratitude flood me. I always thought of Hunter as dodging responsibility, but lately, I’m wondering if I was wrong. Like the way he covered that big job at work so his friend didn’t end up in trouble.

And the way he had my back today. Not just by taking Rory, but in that meeting.

By the time I tuck the phone away, a smile lingering on my lips, and head back outside, a figure is striding up the driveway. One that stops and leans against the driver’s door of my car. My heart kicks, and I lower the duffel, preparing to swing it at his head if I need to.

But then I realize the shape is familiar.

"Kendall."

"Blake."

I don't loosen my grip on the bag. I haven't seen him in almost three years. He's filled out.

"I heard about your mom," he says. "I'm sorry."

That familiar voice is smooth on my skin, reminding me how he used to sing in youth group. How I’d stare at him while he did.

"She'll be fine."

He shoves his hands in the pockets of his Levi’s.

I always found him handsome, but I don't appreciate it anymore. It's under layers of resentment and pain.

I nod toward the house across the fence. “Looks like you’ve been busy. When did you move in?"

"A week ago." He shrugs. “Mings did a helluva job on the yard, but the carpet in there? Think it hasn’t been replaced since the seventies.”

"Why?"

“Dunno, guess they had other stuff going on.”

“I mean, why did you buy that house?”

He spreads his hands. "I came home. Can’t I want to see my kid and my girl?"

There's a dig in his words, but I'm too stressed and tired to play games. “I’m not your girl. I haven’t been in a long time.”

He rubs a hand through the waves of his hair, darker brown than Logan’s. His face is leaner, and I don’t know why I’m comparing them all of a sudden.

“Coming back to this place made me remember everything. Including camp that summer.” His lips lift at the corner, as if he’s reminiscing with an old friend instead of a woman who wants nothing to do with him.

“I’m creating a future for my son. We can’t change the past.”

He looks hurt. “You wouldn’t want that. We had some good times.”

“And some bad ones,” I remind him, lifting my chin.

He sighs, folding his arms over his chest. "I’m gonna see my son."

The hairs on my neck stand up. Not because I’m afraid he’ll hurt Rory—if I was, there’d be a restraining order and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. The risk to my kid is more subtle than that.

"You can see him, but we need to be on the same page. The last time you spent time with him, you promised him things you couldn’t deliver on.”

“I only couldn’t deliver on them because you wouldn’t let me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.