“It is. But unless and until you’re willing to make the same sacrifices you’re asking me to make, I’m the one who has to carry it, so I’m going to be making the decisions that impact it.”
“You asked me not to yell at you,” I say quietly, pulling on a pair of shorts. “And I love you enough to respect that. Instead, I’m going to walk away for a while. I can’t think of anything to say that won’t escalate into yelling.”
“That’s the grown-up thing to do,” she says, glaring at me. “Walk away.”
I know it’s childish, but she did ask me not to yell.
And right now, it’s about to explode out of my chest in words that I might not be able to take back.
I love her too much for that.
I put on a T-shirt, slide my feet into a pair of sandals, and grab my phone and keys.
Then I jog down the stairs without looking back.
Chapter Fourteen
Lexi
* * *
After Zaan left, I had a good cry.
Then I got in the shower and seethed, which led to more crying.
Finally, I dried my hair, had breakfast, and headed out. I needed to talk to someone who’d been through this, and I felt a little stupid for not doing it already.
Tyler’s wife Ariel is a huge pop star.
She played to sold-out arenas and stadiums over the years and her new album is selling like gangbusters.
She also has a one-year-old.
I pull up to their house and sit in the car for a moment, letting the air conditioning blow on my face. I’ve been nauseated since the argument with Zaan, and I don’t think it has anything to do with being pregnant, although I could be wrong. God knows, I’ve been wrong about a lot of things lately.
I’d hired a car to drive me home last night because I’d known Zaan was going to be upset, and I figured the best way to mitigate that was by showing him I was okay. I hadn’t expected everything to blow up once we woke up.
I probably should have called first, but I’m too angry and frustrated to worry about being polite. And anyway, Tyler and Ariel are like family.
“Hey.” Tyler looks surprised to see me.
To my horror, I burst into tears.
“Oh, hey.” He immediately pulls me close, hugging me tightly. “Come on in.”
“Babe, who’s at—” Ariel comes into the room and pulls up short. “Oh, no. Lexi, what’s wrong?”
“Everything!” I try to swipe at my eyes but it’s not working and all I can do is cry.
“It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.” Tyler gently guides me to the family room, and we sit on their soft, comfortable sectional.
I’m still sobbing like an idiot, but I can’t seem to help myself.
“It’s okay. Let it out.” Ariel gently rubs my arm.
Tyler gets up at one point and comes back with a box of tissues. I absently grab one and blow my nose.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Ariel says softly.
