Page 50 of Secret Love

I do have concerns about the girls…Cassidy in particular. But honestly, Tru? When I’m around you, all concerns seem to go out the window.

Have you always been so determined?

Henley

Only when it comes to making sure my girls are happy. And football. But the more I get to know you, the more I want to know…

What do you want to know?

Henley

Everything. How about I come up with a list of things and we’ll go over them the next time we’re together?

You’re very persuasive, Mr. Football Player.

Henley

I can be very single-minded when I want something.

I place the phone on the nightstand, hands trembling as I stare at the ceiling. That was hot as hell.

I’m not sure I have the willpower to withstand Henley Ward’s charm.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

HARD TRUTHS

HENLEY

I drive to the gym, thinking about my conversation with the girls last night.

I asked them if they all felt like Gracie and were holding out hope for their mom and me to get back together. Audrey and Cassidy didn't say anything right away, but when Audrey spoke up, she said, “Maybe a little.”

And Cassidy said, “You guys just seem so close still. I guess I’ve thought it could happen.”

I glanced at Audrey and Gracie in the backseat, meeting Audrey's eyes in the rearview mirror, and then at Cassidy next to me, feeling absolutely floored.

“I had no idea the three of you felt this way. I'm sorry, girls. I feel like your mom and I should have made it clearer that we're not getting back together.”

“But why not?” Gracie asked.

“We were better off as friends,” I said. “Your mom doesn't think of me romantically anymore and I don't think of her like that either.”

“Did you never really feel that way?” Cassidy asked.

I paused before I answered because, when I stopped and thought about it, of course I loved Bree. But I couldn't say I ever felt all the things I should have felt for her, and I didn't even fully realize it until we were apart for a while. It was little things like the way she would snark about me working out or about my job or if I wanted to visit my family. The way she wished I could be someone I never was. It was like the moment we got married, she wanted me to be someone different. When we decided to break up, that lifted because there was no pressure for me to be that person anymore and she didn’t feel pressured to approve one way or the other. We could just be friends raising our girls together.

But it was confusing at the time and explaining it to the girls felt impossible.

“I loved your mother, but I don't feel like we're right together. At first, it was hard to understand that. The most important thing was me being with you guys all the time. I didn't want to miss out on anything. I still don't. We’ve got a good thing going, raising you together, and I don't know if Alex is the man she'llbe with forever, but I think she's happy with him now. You guys should really give him a chance.”

They were quiet the rest of the ride. I pulled in front of their house and turned to look at them. “Is everybody okay? Do we need to talk about this more?”

“No,” Audrey said.

“I still don't understand why you and Mom aren't together,” Cassidy said. “Did something bad happen?”

“No. Nothing bad happened. We just weren't compatible as a couple and we kept trying to make it work anyway,” I said. “People grow apart. It happens. But your mom is so much happier now, and so am I,” I added.

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