Page 68 of Selfless

“Who the fuck cares!” he shouts. “She didn’t even want her!”

She narrows her eyes at him, and her lips thin. “I care!” she snaps. “At any second, she could have changed her mind,” she argues. “You see it all the time in the news. Mother gets child back after x so many years …”

“You should have told me no matter what!” he shouts.

“Don’t you dare yell at me,” she shouts back at him. “You haven’t been here.”

“And whose fault is that?” he snaps back.

I watch as this family becomes divided by lies and secrets. And all I can think of is how did no one know Gwenda had a baby? I know Jaycent, Ryder, and Rosie were already adults and out of the house. But how did Becca not know? Or Timothy? Did he know the entire pregnancy that it wasn’t his kid? Maybe he thought it was his?

She sighs heavily, and her shoulders start to shake as tears run down her face. “Why would I tell you?” she asks. “Were you going to help me?” He opens his mouth, and she raises her hand to stop him. “I never see you.”

“I talk to you all the time,” he argues.

“But we never see one another. I’m busy with work …”

“Apparently, you’re busy with a lot of things.” He growls, looking over at her boyfriend. That I just found out minutes ago no one knew about. But supposedly, they’ve been together for two years. I don’t know much about Rosie except that she is a very private person. And given her circumstances, I can see why.

“Arguing isn’t going to solve anything,” her boyfriend defends her. “Now you all know.”

“And that makes it better?” Jaycent snaps.

“Babe, please …” Becca begs as she stands from the couch. “Just stop,” she cries.

He looks over at her and then at his sister. He then tosses his hands up in the air and storms out of the living room. Moments later, we hear the front door slam.

“I’ll go talk to him,” Ryder says softly.

“No!” his father says as he too stands from the couch. “I’ll do it.”

Rosie turns to Ryder and Becca. “You have to understand. My hands were tied,” she says as fresh tears run down her face. “And I couldn’t lose her …” She sniffs. “I just couldn’t …” She bows her head and places her face in her hands.

“It’s okay,” Becca cries, running to her. “It’s gonna be okay,” she assures her, and I look over at Ryder as he watches them together. A look of worry all over his face. When his eyes meet mine, I can tell he doesn’t share Becca’s confidence.

**

I hang the last piece of clothing up in Ryder’s, now our, closet and turn to see him standing at the door, staring at me. He wears a white t-shirt with a pair of blue jeans and running shoes. He looks just as good casual as he does in a suit. “You okay?” I ask.

The meeting at Rosie’s didn’t go as planned. Jaycent ended up leaving. I don’t know what Timothy said to him, but it either pissed him off or scared him. And although I wanted to meet Maggie, Rosie felt that things needed to calm down before we got that chance. We all agreed.

He nods and leans his shoulder up against the doorframe. “So much is happening.”

I give him a soft smile. “I know it seems like a lot, but they’re all good things.” He is taking over the company. He has a sister, and I’ve moved in with him.

“Are they?” he asks softly before his eyes look around his closet at all my clothes on the right side—my side.

The smile drops off my face. “If it’s too much right now, I understand,” I tell him as my chest tightens at my words.

He looks back at me and frowns. I gesture to my clothes. “Me moving in. I understand if you want to put it off now—”

“No!” he interrupts me and pushes off the doorframe. He walks over to me. “You are exactly what I need right now. We are where I’ve wanted us to be.”

My smile returns. “Tell me what you want me to do?” I urge. “What can I do to make it better?”

He releases a sigh as he lifts his hand and runs it through my hair. “Love me forever.” It breaks my heart that he feels so alone in this world. He has friends and family who love him, but right now, they are all so disconnected from one another.

I place my hands on his chest, and I feel his heart pounding. “Not loving you isn’t an option,” I tease him, trying to lighten the mood.

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