No. The truth opened up inside her like a lamp clicking on, chasing away the darkness. No, she couldn’t place all of this on them.
Because in the end, these were her choices, and the time had come to accept the truth and own those choices.
Yes, she’d worked all these years to establish a career she could be proud of, to provide for her family. But she also used both as a way to protect her heart from further hurt, to shield herself from rejection and the pain of being deemed unworthy, never good enough. While her parents had never said the words, while her employers had never written them on a review, the implications had always been that she’d had to work twice as hard, be twice as good... And she’d done everything to achieve a goal that would always be this dangling, golden carrot.
But Achilles... She huffed out a chuckle that ended on a soft sob.
Achilles had never asked her to be anyone but herself. He’d never asked her to decrease herself so he could be increased. He had loved her for herself—flaws and all. He’d worshipped those flaws, loved herbecauseof them, not in spite of them. But she’d allowed her fears to prevent her from claiming him for herself even though she so desperately longed to.
Because she loved him.
God, she loved him.
And she was living in fear of rejection, of disapproval.
Of loss.
No matter the consequences of living in the light and out loud, she’d willingly face them. If that meant whisper campaigns from business colleagues, a hit to her reputation, ostracism from her family—so be it.
She was going to claim the life she wanted and finally, finally live it. And if he’d have her, she was going to claim the love of her life.
“So are we going to do this?” Kenan asked.
She startled, almost forgetting he still sat in the office with her. Glancing at him, she smiled.
“Oh, we are so doing this.”
“Good.” He clapped his hands together, rubbing them, a grin of what could be called only glee spreading across his handsome face. “Did I ever tell you how I single-handedly saved Cain and Devon’s relationship? True story.”
Seventeen
For what could possibly be the last time, Mycah climbed the front steps to her parents’ home. Enough anger flowed through her that the thought of never entering the house again was okay with her. But underneath, the love for them that she could never eradicate made her hope it wouldn’t be the final time she entered the place where she’d grown up. The last time she was with her parents.
But that would be their decision.
She used her key and let herself in, then removed it, setting it on the mantel. Odd not to have the key she’d had since she was twelve on her ring, but it was only the first of many changes in her life. Heading toward the rear of the house, she inhaled a deep breath to calm the nerves that fluttered against the walls of her stomach like a flock of migrating birds.
I can do this. Iamdoing this.
Because it needed to be done.
There was no going back.
She paused in the entryway to the small family room. As she’d expected, only her parents occupied the room; her father sat on the couch reading one of the murder mysteries he loved, while her mother commandeered the antique writing desk. At three o’clock, Angelique wouldn’t arrive from school for another hour or so, depending on if she had play practice. Good. Because this wasn’t a conversation her sister needed to overhear.
“Mom, Dad.” Mycah entered the room.
“Well, this is a surprise.” Her father set aside his book, smiling.
“It certainly is.” Cherise rose from her chair and crossed the room to pull her into a hug, air-kissing both her cheeks. “A good one, though.”
“Is it really?” Mycah asked. “You two should’ve expected me sooner or later.”
“I don’t know what you mean, honey.” Her mother waved a hand, retracing her steps to lower to the couch next to Laurence. “Why don’t you sit down, and I can—”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I’m not staying long, and this isn’t a social call.”
“Mycah, interrupting your mother is unnecessary,” Laurence admonished. “We didn’t raise you to be rude.”
