Page 112 of Scores Of The Heart

She’s waiting for me the second I walk in. I already have a key. Henry is on me in no time, pressing his paws up on my leg, as I bend down to shower him attention.

She looks relieved to see me okay and in one piece. I’m not exactly sure what she’s expecting, but I guess calling and telling her there’s a situation isn’t exactly the best thing to say to someone without further explanation.

But face to face is what’s right, I didn’t want to break this over the phone. I needed to see her and gauge her reaction.

I pull her close and give her a soft kiss on the lips. It may just be the last time I ever taste them. She tries to deepen the kiss, gripping my ass and pulling me towards her.

I reciprocate for a moment. Our tongues collide and my hands grip her hips as we kiss hungrily, like we haven’t seen each other for weeks.

But my predicament flashes at the forefront of my mind, and I pull away abruptly.

She blinks up at me, a little shocked, I think. “Sorry,” she quickly says. “I got carried away for a second.”

“It’s okay.” I want to be buried so deep inside her right now that I actually disappear, at least temporarily. But I can’t do it like this, she deserves better than that.

She’s my safe place. With her, I can truly be myself and not have to worry about if I’m saying and doing shit right. Now I feel like that could be truly ripped away, quicker than it all started.

“We better sit down, Cind.” We walk over to the couch as Henry follows. He jumps up onto his spot on the chaise lounge on top of his fluffy blanket.

She looks wary and has gone more pale than she normally is. I don’t want her to think my feelings have changed or she’s done something wrong, so I just come out with it.

The whole damned story. From the texts in Miami, which I show her on my cell, to the phone call today when Stacey finally got back to me and she told me about our baby girl.

She sits back in shock, her hands covering her mouth.

“I’ve no idea what’s true and what isn’t,” I say. “That’s why I’m meeting her uptown at four. I can’t wait another second. I need to know if it’s true, and what she intends to do.”

“I can’t believe it.” She sits there aghast, taking everything in. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“I wanted to get the information from Stacey first,” I say. “And to be honest, I was in complete shock.”

“Ty, that’s a pretty big secret to keep from me! So that night you felt unwell after you went to the mini-mart, was that when you spoke to her?”

I look down at my feet. Fuck. That sounds bad when she puts it like that.

“Yes,” I admit. “It was.”

“Tyler!”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do, Cindy. What was I meant to say?”

“The truth would have been good!”

“I’m here now,” I sigh, rubbing my hands over my face. “And I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you still love her?”

I balk. “What? No!”

“Are you going to get back with her?”

“No! Cindy, how could you think that?”

She stands up now as the cogs turn in her head. “Ty, tell me the truth.”

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