Page 12 of Seeking Salvation

“Here.”

“Thanks, I’m a hot mess right now.”

“No, you’re a woman dealing with a shit situation you shouldn’t even be near and doing the best you can.”

Her voice was still a little watery as she spoke. “Well, my best isn’t enough.”

He left some space as he sat beside her, conscious of his size and how intimidating it could be for her, especially after what she’d just told him, but he couldn’t help but slide his palm against hers.

“You aren’t alone, Maya. I might not have known about Tyrique before, but now I do. I’ll protect him and you.”

“How? You don’t get it—”

He cut her off. “I do. More than you could ever know.”

She sighed tiredly. He could feel the exhaustion pulling at her and wanted to take it all away and ease every fear she had.

“What should I call you?”

He tipped his head at her question. “My friends call me Titan.”

Maya cocked her head, pursing her lips. “Are we friends?”

“Not yet, but we just became family.”

“Titan feels wrong. Like I’m in some army movie or something.”

God, how close she was. “How about you call me Daddy?”

Maya laughed and then gagged as she pretended to vomit. “Gross. I’m not calling you daddy and I do not have a daddy kink.”

Titan felt his lips twitch. “I meant because I’m Tyrique’s dad, but it’s interesting your mind went there. Tell me more.”

“Ha, you totally didn’t mean that, you perv.”

Titan slapped his hand over his heart. “You wound me. I was being proper and you accuse me of being a perv.”

Maya laughed exactly as he’d hoped she would. Her smile lit up the small room and warmed the ice swimming in his veins from the revelations she’d made.

“You’re weird.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, probably but it made you smile so it was worth it.”

“So what do I call you?”

“How about Allen.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t work for me. My professor was Allen, and he was creepy.”

He rubbed a thumb over his bottom lip to hide the smirk, as he shook his head.

“How about Ti?”

“Yeah, that works.”

Maya sobered as she gazed at their still-entwined hands. “Is Tyrique okay?”

“He’s fine, although the first nappy I changed will leave everlasting scars on my psyche.”

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