Page 86 of The Only Goal

A boulder has lodged in my throat, making it hard to swallow, and there’s a bass drum playing in my head.

He’s here.

Hudson’s here.

Downstairs.

Talking to my Tammy.

Not your Tammy, his.

No, she’s divorcing him. She said she was leaving him for good.

Bile surges in my stomach, and I jerk to my feet, struggling to keep my tone even. “Wanna go downstairs?”

“Okay.” Kai runs and grabs his car. “I’m hungry. Can you make me pancakes again?”

“I’m sure we can do that,” I croak, my chest spasming when he captures my hand on the top step. I hold it as we walk down to the bottom floor, my head spinning when I hear Hudson’s voice in the parlor.

It takes me back to high school and that desolate feeling that washed through me every time I saw him talking to Tammy. He used a special voice for her. It was soft and hypnotic somehow. And the way she used to look at him…

She drank him in like he was everything.

“You’re my wife. I love you.” His tone is soft and beguiling.

But his words are sulfuric acid. I want to throw up.

“Come on, Tam. I’m sorry, okay? I’m so sorry.”

“I know.” Her voice sounds broken and weary.

“Please, you can’t just walk away from us. Are you seriously willing to turn your back on the life we’ve been building together? We love each other. We love our son.”

Tammy doesn’t say anything, and that’s all I need to hear. My doubts from last night are amplified to the point of deafening me.

Fuck, I can’t hear this shit.

Walking through to the kitchen, I force polite conversation with Rachel, who seems overly excited by the prospect of making Kai pancakes. Fezzik scratches on the back door and I let him in, picking him up and petting him, drawing what comfort I can. He licks my chin, but even his excited tail isn’t making me feel better.

I’m losing Tammy all over again.

But somehow, this time feels worse.

CHAPTER 42

TAMMY

I’m so confused right now I can’t even think straight.

Hudson is looking so remorseful. He’s in agony over losing me and Kai. I can see it, hear it in his voice. Am I being a heartless bitch if I turn my back on that?

He’s the father of my kid, and he’s desperate to make it work.

He wants me back, and he’s willing to fight for me.

Dropping to his knees, Hudson clasps my hands, tears lining his lashes when he notices I’m not wearing my rings anymore. “Please,” he chokes out, “I’d do anything to take back what I did. I don’t know what came over me. You were away, and I was lonely, and I just let her in, you know? I didn’t mean for it to go that far, but we got caught up in a moment.”

I close my eyes, not wanting to hear the details.

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