Page 25 of Silver Lining Love

Sex wasn’t the issue.

Maybe it was attention. I was used to a lot of attention from guys. I’d never had a shortage of it. But since I became a single mom overnight, I hadn’t had any of that.

Well, that could be easily remedied, and I wouldn’t even have to leave this couch. One sexy selfie and I’d have guys flooding my DMs.

Was it the healthiest cure for what ailed me?

No. Probably not. But right now, every day felt like I was running a fucking marathon. And even though setting a thirst trap was the emotional equivalent of putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg, I’d take it.

I picked up my phone and did something I’d avoided since my life changed forever, I tapped the screen and opened my Instagram. I cringed when I saw the last thing I’d posted. It was the night of the accident, and I was in the club dancing with Talia right before I caught Jasper nailing her from behind in the bathroom.

As I stared down at the picture, I didn’t even recognize the girl in the photo.

She didn’t have a care in the world. The most devastating thing to happen to her was walking in on her boyfriend and her best friend. She had no clue that her entire world was about to blow up in her face. She had no clue that within hours the closest person in the world to her was going to be ripped away from her.

Tears pricked the back of my eyes. Suddenly, I didn’t give two shits about what some random guy on the Internet had to say about my smile, or my eyes, or my tits. All I wanted was my sister back.

I wanted my old life back. The one where I could call my sister and complain about things that didn’t matter and she’d always make me smile. The one where I could sleep in every day if I wanted to. The one where I had time to do facials, pedicures, manicures, get hair extensions and eyelashes.

This was too much for me, and I was obviously failing miserably. Wyatt had tried to make me feel better by telling me that his siblings had gotten into fights. But, I knew, in my bones, if Addison was still here, there was no way that Mikey would have ended up with a black eye and put a kid in the hospital.

He was the sweetest, funniest, kindest kid in the world. And I was breaking him.

In that moment, a truth hit me like a slap in the face. That was what I was truly afraid of. Not that I would never be able to sleep in again, or that I wouldn’t have time for myself. My greatest fear was that I was going to mess up three little lives because I had no fucking idea what I was doing.

When I heard the back door open, I wiped my cheeks and made sure to put on a brave face. It really bothered Mikey when he saw me cry.

“Hey, did you guys have fun?” I asked, hoping that the dim lighting would disguise what I was sure were red-rimmed eyes.

“So much fun!” Mikey grinned from ear to ear. “Goodnight.”

“Don’t forget to brush?—"

“My teeth!” Mikey called out cheerfully. “I won’t!”

I stared in disbelief. That was the first glimpse I’d gotten of my fun-loving, happy nephew. I’d been sure that boy was gone forever. But one evening playing ball with Wyatt, and there he was.

Obviously, I knew that his demeanor wasn’t permanent, but it was nice to see the old Mikey again. I’d missed him.

I heard Moose drinking water from his bowl in the kitchen and I glanced in that direction.

Wyatt stood in the doorway that led into the kitchen. He was casually leaning against the frame. His shoulders were so broad that he filled the space in a sexy, commanding way. But that was true for anywhere that he was.

The man oozed authority and sex appeal. It dripped off of him. I tried to ignore the flutters in my nether region that always showed up whenever I laid eyes on him.

I cleared my throat and sat up straighter. “You are a miracle worker.”

His brows knitted together, causing a crease to appear above his nose.

“Mikey—" I motioned to the hallway my nephew just ran down. “—he seems…happy.”

Wyatt did what he always did and sidestepped the compliment. “He’s got a good arm and his instincts are good. The kid has some raw, natural talent. Actually, I wanted to talk to you.”

He walked over and sat across from me, leaning his forearms on his knees.

Oh no. Was this “the talk?” Was he going to tell me that the second-long kiss we shared was a mistake? Was he going to tell me he just thought of me as a friend? Was he going to say that he needed space?

I felt my breath catch, wondering what it could be about.

---