Tough Love by Max Henry

Author:Max Henry [Henry, Max]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Amazon: B0722V1VWD
Publisher: Max Henry
Published: 2017-05-23T04:00:00+00:00

EIGHTEEN

Evan manages to keep the sexual innuendo out of the conversation long enough for us to team up and make a light dinner of eggs Benedict. Briar is still fast asleep when I check on him, his arm thrown over his head as he lies so carefree in his bed. If I could grant him the ability to always sleep away the hard times, I would. But life sucks like that, making you get up and face each hardship head-on before reaching another.

“I should probably wake him soon, otherwise he won’t sleep tonight,” I say, taking my seat beside Evan at the table.

He picks up his knife and fork, and then rests his fists on the table to address me. “Let him sleep. We’ll make him something to eat when he does wake up, but until then, he’s doing what his body wants him to.”

I nod, slicing into my piece of toast. “What’s your son like?” I draw my knife back and forward, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy I get at the thought of another woman sharing something so intimate with him.

Something I never got to have.

“He’s really smart.” Evan pauses to chew a mouthful, and then continues. “Like, he’s never struggled at school, and he just gets everything on such a deep level.”

“You’re proud of him,” I observe.

“Yeah.” He smiles, slicing off another huge mouthful. “He’s the best mistake I ever made.”

I choke on my food, smacking myself in the chest as Evan passes me my glass of water. “Thanks.” Tears streak my cheeks as I take a sip. “I’m sorry, it was just so unexpected. You insulted him and praised him in the same breath.”

He smiles, shrugging one shoulder. “It’s the truth, though. I was never with his mum. She said she was on birth control, and she was, but she also didn’t let me know that she forgot to take it two days running.” He holds his fork out toward me, a frown on his face. “Did you know you’re supposed to use secondary protection for a week after even one skipped day?”

I snort. “I think every woman on the pill knows that.”

“Yeah, well—” He downs another bite. “—not all men do.”

“So, you and his mum….” I test the waters. “Did you try to make it work for his sake?”

He shakes his head, swallowing his next bite. “Nah.” Evan hesitates, his sharp eyes drifting up to mine as he winces. “I went back up north. Didn’t even know about him until the month before he was born.” He presses his lips together, frowning at me.

“What?”

“You probably know who she is.”

Oh, hell. “Try me.”

“Birdie Chambers.”

My fork hits the plate with a clatter. “As in, her brother was the jackass that bullied me, Birdie?”

He nods apologetically. “Yeah, that one.”

I can’t be mad at him for this. I can’t be mad at him for this.

I’m so fucking mad.

“What the hell made you shack up with her that night, of all the girls you could have picked in our town?” Including me.

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