Page 157 of Tainted

I wanted to walk away, but if there was no out for Kenyon, there wasn’t one for me and this baby. Either way, I was stuck, and I’d rather be stuck with him than without.

“I want to be. It’s just that everything we had was built on lies,” I admitted.

“Then we rebuild it on the truth.”

His words made me warm all over.

“I guess you’re out of training now. You handled that like a real boyfriend.”

“C’mon. We need to get my baby some real food.”

“I’m not hungry,” I pouted.

“Hate to break it to you, Babygirl, it’s not just about you anymore.”

“You’re switching up on me already?” I asked.

“Never, but you have to feed my baby.”

I missed him more than I cared to admit. Our relationship had a lot of risks, but Kenyon’s love wasn’t one of them. Even with his faults, this baby was blessed to have him.

Kenyon let me enjoy my treat before we returned to the car to feed his baby. Every suggestion he tossed out made my skin crawl. I wanted a burger, but he refused, causing us to go back and forth until he changed the subject.

“So what will you be doing while I’m following my dreams?”

His question caught me off guard because I wasn’t expecting it.

“I don’t know. I had my audition with Sonya but never heard anything, so-.”

“When?”

“After our argument.”

Kenyon nodded, “Isn’t keeping secrets against the rules?”

“I wasn’t trying to. It happened when we weren’t speaking, and I never heard anything back,” I shrugged, not wanting to admit how bad it hurt.

“I always want to know what’s going on with you.”

Kenyon’s voice was low, but the sincerity behind his words made my cheeks heat up. He always made me feel like the center of his universe, even when I didn’t deserve it.

“I’m proud of you,” he added, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand. “Even if I wasn’t there for it. I know you killed it.”

His effortless charm made my heart race with just a few words. I looked away, hoping the dim light outside would hide just how red my face was. But I knew he could see it. He always could, and then Sydney’s call paused the background music in the car.

Kenyon sighed, clearly torn, but he answered. "What?"

I tried not to listen, but picking up the urgency in her voice wasn't hard. This was different, though, and Keyes disconnected the call from the car.

“What happened?” His voice dropped an octave, that serious tone he only used when something was wrong. The kind that made me uneasy even though I wasn’t part of the conversation.

"Don’t move until I get there," he said, hanging up and dropping the phone in his lap.

I stared at him, trying to keep my expression neutral, but I didn’t know how to feel. Not out of jealousy but because he put himself more at risk than he already was, rushing to save her from whatever.

But I couldn’t say anything. Not when he looked the way he did, driving his car like he was in a midnight race. His fingersmoved a mile a minute, texting while trying to focus on the road. Before I could complain, he dropped the phone again, and food seemed like an afterthought.

I expected him to take me back to Banana Girls before the meeting, but he didn’t, so he rushed us both inside his house.

---