“It’s not long before you start school again, and then you won’t have to spend all day with her.” I ruffle his hair again, and he bats my hand away.
“Mooooom,” he whines. “Leave. The. Do. Alone.”
“Alright, Ace Ventura.” I chuckle and usher him out the door.
I never told his dad about Oscar. He was long gone by the time I found out I was pregnant, and I could never find him. But in all honesty, I didn’t try very hard. A man who suddenly leaves without a trace is clearly someone who doesn’t want to be found.
Do Oscar and his dad have the right to a relationship? Absolutely. I’m just scared about what it could mean for all of us. How it will affect Oscar, how it will affect me, and ultimately, how it will affect his dad. I wouldn’t even know how to start broaching the subject.“Oh, hey. So, uh, you have a kid you didn’t know about.”Yeah, that would go down like a lead balloon.
Oscar’s asked about his dad before, but I never knew what to say, so I told him he was overseas—not original, but I froze in the moment—and that he would hopefully get to meet him one day.
It’s just that day came sooner than I thought, and neither one of them knew it.
Theo walks into the conference room, looking as devastatingly handsome as always, and I have to squeeze my thighs together to stop the ache from forming. The sleeves on his shirt are rolled up, showcasing new tattoos I’ve never seen before. I’m intrigued, to say the least. How far up do those go?
Ignoring those thoughts, I say, “If you’re here to play your pranks, you can do it somewhere else. I’m busy.”
After the impromptu near kiss the other day, I’ve tried drawing a line between us again. For one, I don’t want him to find out aboutthe secret I’m keeping from him, and two, this man is dangerous to my heart and soul. I won’t survive him leaving a second time; I barely managed the first.
“We still going to Habitat tonight?” he asks from across the room where he’s leaning against the doorway.
This is such a bad idea, but it’s for the case. It’s to help Harper and put a man behind bars.
I sigh, rubbing my eyes. “Yeah. I brought my clothes, so I can change here before we leave.”
I’m dreading it. I’m so tired already that the thought of going out on a school night fills me with dread. I’m too old for this shit now, even if I am only twenty-eight.
He taps the doorframe, replying, “Good, I, uh, just wanted to check.”
I raise my head to look at him. “You’re being more weird than usual,” I point out, leaning back in my chair. “What’s wrong?”
Theo shuffles, then walks further into the room. It’s like all of the oxygen is taken away the closer he gets to me. My hands go clammy, and I forget the reasons as to why I dislike him.
Pulling the chair out opposite me, he sits down and braces his elbows on the table. “I need to talk to Christie,” he mumbles.
“I’m failing to see an issue here, big guy. She’s your sister.” I raise an eyebrow, but he’s not looking at me, his gaze still firmly on the table.
He blows out a breath, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. “My therapist thinks it would be a good idea to talk to her. Apparently, I have a lot of resentment toward her, and I need to fix it.”
I nod slowly. “But that’s a good thing, right? I thought you two were always close?”
“Things went downhill after Dan’s bachelor party. She hasn’t spoken to me since.”
“I can’t imagine why,” I tease, smiling.
“Hmm.” He chuckles.
“I’m sure if you just explain everything to her, it’ll be fine. You’re Theodore Moore, everyone loves you.”
He narrows his eyes as he says, “Do they?”
This is the Theo I first fell in love with. He’s always been needy, but I loved it. Loved having his undivided attention, his hugs, and his kisses. For someone who grew up without them after my parents died, he gave me something I hadn’t known I was missing.
“Well, I can’t stand you personally. You did up and leave me without a trace,” I joke, but there’s still an undercurrent of resentment to my tone.
“Yeah, about that,” he begins. “I think we should talk.”
My back straightens. “What now?” I whine. Nothing good ever comes from someone saying, “we should talk.”
