Page 64 of Teasing a King

“Is she there?” I ask in lieu of a greeting.

There’s a long pause and I hear Hope sigh.

“Look,” I say. “I’m not asking you to violate girl code or something. I just want to know she’s okay.”

There’s another long pause before Hope says in a low voice, “She’s here. She’s safe.”

I feel as if a weight is lifted off my chest and I can breathe again. “Good,” I say. “Is she okay?”

“She’s upset,” Hope says. “We’re talking to her.”

“I don’t know what happened,” I say. “I thought things were going well between us. Then she just ended it. Said it wasn’t working. What happened?”

Hope is quiet for a moment. “I can’t tell you things that aren’t mine to tell,” she says. “But she’s hurting just as much as you are right now. Give her some time.”

I take a deep breath and let it out. “I love her, Hope.”

“I know,” she says softly. “I can see that. She just needs to figure it out too. She’s not used to it.”

Hope’s words hit me like a punch in the gut. Mya isn’t used to being loved? Or she isn’t used to hearing the words? I don’t understand. Then Luke’s story of her childhood comes back to me, and I feel like the biggest idiot. She grew up without parents, without a family. Of course, she has doubts. She’s never had the kind of unconditional love that comes from a family. She’s never known the certainty that comes with that.

She grew up feeling like a burden.

That’s what Luke had said. The truth hits me square in the face. How could I have been so blind? Mya had had no family, no support system. She’d bounced around from one foster home to the next, never knowing the safety and security of belonging somewhere. What had he said? That she’d felt like a burden. Someone’s responsibility? Is that why she’d made that comment?

I need to show Mya that I love her for who she is, and not just because she’s carrying my child. I need to make sure she knows exactly how I feel. How I’ve felt all along.

“Hope, I need your help,” I say, a plan forming in my mind.

Her response is almost immediate. “What do you need?”

“I need you to bring Mya to me tomorrow night,” I say. “I need 24 hours. Can you do that?”

“Yes, but—”

“Thank you,” I say, cutting off her question before she can ask it. “I don’t have time to explain, but I need you to trust me, Hope.”

“Okay,” she says. “But you better not make me regret it. Don’t mess this up.”

“If I mess this up, I’ll be happy to let you kick my ass,” I say.

I end the call in a much better mood. I know what I need to do. I need to show Mya that I love her and that she’s not just some responsibility for me. She’s everything.

Chapter Thirty

Van

I work through the night, crashing on the couch as the sun rises. I wake up a few hours later and start making phone calls as I brew another pot of coffee. I only have a few hours before Mya is set to show up. And there’s still a lot to do. I tell myself that this is going to work. It has to. I refuse to consider the alternative.

After a shower and more coffee, I head over to visit Hannah. When I’d told her my plan the night before, I hadn’t had to do much to convince her to help me. She’d jumped at the chance. She shows me everything she’s done for her part of the plan. It’s amazing.

“You’re the best sister-in-law ever,” I say, pulling her to me in a quick hug.

She laughs. “Until one of your brothers get married, I’m the only one you have.”

I shrug. “Take the compliment.”

“For what it’s worth,” Hannah says. “I think you have a good shot at winning her back.”

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