Page 113 of Lee

“Who did you go to live with?”

“I ended up with my mom first, but then there was a custody battle, and not the good kind where both parents want the kid. No, they battled over who had to take me.”

“What did they settle on?”

“One week I’d live at my mom’s, and then the next week I’d be at my dad’s.”

“That had to be hard.”

“It might not have been if I’d had a space of my own at each place, but I didn’t. I had to pack up all my things to go from one place to the other. Needless to say, I didn’t have much. And my birthday was never acknowledged, let alone celebrated.”

“What about Christmas?” Lee asked, though he really didn’t want to hear how badly they’d mistreated her for that too.

“I usually got one present from whichever parent I was staying with. They alternated from one year to the next who had to take me for any of the holidays.”

Lee’s rage surfaced again, and his thoughts turned to her mother, who lived so close. He hoped the woman never brought her cat into the vet clinic again because it would be extremely hard not to give her a piece of his mind.

“I wondered why you didn’t mention it was your birthday.”

Rori shrugged, then leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder. “I honestly forgot. Over the years, it became necessary to not even think about it because the hurt was too much to bear.”

“Do you wish we hadn’t done this?” Lee asked. “I never meant to cause you pain.”

He felt her hand land on his chest, covering his heart. “You didn’t. At least, not in the way you mean. I was just so stunned that anyone would want to go to the trouble of doing something for me on my birthday.”

“You are worth all the trouble in the world to celebrate.” Lee pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You deserve to be celebrated.”

“Thank you.” The words came out in a whisper, and Lee resolved to be the one who showered her with all the love and attention she’d missed out on for years. And he had a feeling his family would be right there to help him.

Just like they had that day.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Rori tried not to feel embarrassed by what had happened. The shock of realizing that Lee and his family not only knew about her birthday but had planned a celebration for her, had been like a sledgehammer to the wall she’d built around the emotions and hurts of her past.

Here were people who hadn’t known her for very long, and yet they’d welcomed her and were quickly filling her life with friendship and happiness.

And then there was Lee who’d taken her outburst in stride, even going so far as to reassure her that it hadn’t changed how he felt about their relationship. Her love for him was present in every beat of her heart, and more than anything right then, she hoped he would one day come to feel the same way about her.

She hoped that he was being honest when he said that her outburst hadn’t changed how he felt. It might mean that he’d take longer to fall in love with her, but she could accept that as long as it happened one day.

Lifting her hands, she rubbed them against her cheeks, realizing she probably looked like a wreck. Lee moved away for a moment, then returned with a tissue box in his hand.

“Thanks.” She gave him a self-conscious smile as she plucked two tissues from the box.

She wiped her eyes and cheeks, then turned away from him so she could blow her nose. Her stomach knotted at the thought of seeing the rest of Lee’s family and having to explain to them why she’d melted down the way she had.

“Would you like to go to the bathroom?” Lee asked. “Splash some water on your face?”

He was clearly offering her the opportunity to gather herself together. It would also give him the chance to talk to his family without her being there.

“That would be great.”

Lee led her to a small bathroom underneath the stairs. “Take your time.”

Rori went into the beautifully decorated half bathroom, closed and locked the door, then leaned back against it. She took several deep breaths and flexed her hands before giving them a shake to try to rid herself of the emotion that was still so near the surface.

The last thing she wanted was to break down yet again after doing so in such a spectacular fashion. There was no doubt that she’d be reliving the embarrassment of that moment for years to come.

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