Iswear, I can feel every muscle in my face twitch in panic.
“No, I wasn’t,” I blurt, instantly regretting it. “I mean…yes, I was…” My face feels like it’s about to burst into flames. “But… you see…” I try to straighten up, to explain, but before I can move a muscle, D’s hand clamps onto my arm, keeping me in place. I turn to give him a look—my eyes wide, brows shooting up like a damn firecracker.
He ignores my stare, tightening his grip on my hand, like he thinks if he lets go, I’m gonna float away like smoke.
“Hey, buddy,” he says, his voice going all soft and warm, completely ignoring the fact that I’m trying to escape. “Come here.”
D shifts, turning his head just enough to swipe at the tear tracks on his cheeks, trying to pretend he’s not an emotional wreck right now. It’s a pretty poor cover, but damn if it doesn’t hit me right in the chest.
I suck in a lungful of air, forcing my own emotions down. I turn to Alex, waving him over. “Come on, sweetheart.”
Alex looks between D and me, his little face scrunched in confusion, and then he makes his choice.
“Wokey, Papa,” he says and lets go of Lenny’s hand. Poor Lenny, who still looks like he’s questioning every decision that led him to this exact doorway, not sure if he should stay or run for the hills.
But…Hold on a second.
Did I just hear Alex call D “Papa”?
Is there a memo I missed here?
I can see D wincing slightly as he shifts, bracing himself against the bed frame, and I step forward, ready to step in if I need to. But he gives me a look—one that says,Trust me. It fucking stops me in my tracks.
I wait, my foot halfway to the bed, my breath catching in my throat as I watch Alex toddle over, his little feet pattering against the floor, his eyes locked on D like he’s the most interesting thing in the world. He reaches the edge of the bed, his tiny hands gripping the comforter as he tries to pull himself up.
“Momma, it’s too big!” he huffs, his little legs kicking as he reaches for the top. I almost move to help him, my hand instinctively twitching forward, but I catch myself. I let out a breath, forcing my hand down, trying to trust.
“You can do this, Lexi Bear.”
D shifts, his face tightening in pain, but he pushes himself just enough to help.
“You got it, buddy,” he says, his voice encouraging. He hooks a hand under Alex’s arm, guiding him up without actually lifting him—like he knows he can’t do much more than that right now.
Alex clambers up, his knees pressing into the mattress, finally managing to get himself up onto the bed.
“I did it!” he cheers, beaming, his face lighting up like he’s just conquered a mountain. My heart clenches, and I can’t help the smile tugging at my lips. It’s such a small thing, but for Alex, it’s everything.
“You’re so strong for a little buddy,” D says, his voice almost a whisper now. He reaches out, his hand cupping Alex’s cheek, brushing his thumb over the soft skin. “You okay, champ?”
Alex nods, then tilts his head, his little hand reaching up to press against D’s stubbled cheek. “Papa gotouchie?”
D lets out a soft, strained laugh, nodding. “Yeah, buddy. Papa’s got a bit of anouchie. But don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”
Heart, meet twist. Twist, meet them. And me? I’ll be over here, definitely not having an emotional meltdown in public.
I feel my breath hitch. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
I didn’t want this—I didn’t want Alex to get attached, didn’t want D to have a chance to hurt us. But seeing them like this… seeing Dtrying… it breaks something in me.
D glances up at me, his eyes locking onto mine.
“Wren,” he says. Tugging Alex closer with one arm, his muscles visibly tense beneath his shirt, his face pale from the pain of his injuries. “I know I’ve got a lot of work to do. But I want to be here. For you. For him. I need you to let me try.”
I don’t know what to say.
My chest feels tight, my throat even tighter.
Say no.
