Page 50 of Don't You Want Me, Baby?

It happened so fast, Amber had whiplash. She turned to Tyler, and he was holding his hand. The knuckles were split, but it didn’t look fresh. The blood on them did.

‘Talk to her like that again, I dare you.’

Bradley whimpered, pulling a linen napkin off the table to stem the flow of blood streaming down his face. ‘I’ll sue you for this! You see if I don’t.’

‘Do it,’ Tyler was vibrating with pure, violent rage. ‘You’re nothing, Sloane. You have nothing. You never deserved her, and you know it. Speak to her again, and I’ll rip your head off your shoulders.’

‘Whatever,’ Bradley said, sounding like a nasally little child. ‘You’ll never have her anyway.’

Tyler lunged for him, and Bradley jumped back but he wasn’t fast enough. Tyler kicked his feet out from under him, looming in his face as he grabbed a fistful of his shirt so hard, the buttonspopped off. Arms came in to try to drag him off, but he shook them off like water droplets. ‘I warned you,’ he said, his voice dripping with anger.

‘Tyler, stop,’ Amber said, pulling his arm. The second her fingers slid into his, he dropped Bradley and she felt him relax, just a little. His gait was still coiled like a spring, but he stood up straight, coming to her side.

Amber looked down at Bradley, surrounded by people, and shook her head.

‘You’re wrong about that,’ she said. ‘In fact, we already slept together. I was coming to tell you that you’re not half the man he is, on your best day.’

The blonde came up behind Bradley, kneeling down, and Amber met her eye. ‘Do yourself a favour, love: walk away from this man as fast as your legs can carry you. He’s not worth it. Come on, Tyler.’ She jutted her chin out, making herself stand tall. ‘Let’s get out of here.’ She looked around, her face a mask of disdain. ‘This place is a pile of pretentious crap.’

Tyler’s hand on hers, she turned and strode through the doors.

‘I made you some sweet tea.’

Amber took the mug, flopping back on the sofa in her flat. The events of the last few hours had drained her. Tyler had taken Sharon’s keys from her and driven them home in silence. He’d practically carried her upstairs, and she’d heard him talking to Sharon at the bottom of the stairs, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. He’d come back up straight after, tinkering around in the kitchen. When she glanced at his knuckles, she saw he’d cleaned them up.

‘Those cuts aren’t from tonight,’ she said, monotone.

He sat down across from her in the chair, glancing down at his hands.

‘What happened?’

‘I punched a wall.’ He swallowed. ‘The night I went to Bradley’s and found out.’

She laughed despite herself. ‘Right.’ Her heart wrenched as she thought of the clarity she’d had standing in that restaurant. Right before she’d realised she’d walked straight into Bradley’s engagement party. Stood there like an idiot while her ex addressed the crowds with his investor’s daughter hanging off his arm.Stupid.She should have stuck to her guns twelve months ago, when she’d set eyes on him the first time. She was going mad lately. Her emotions were all over the place, and she should have known better. Now Tyler had punched him out, they’d made a huge scene. The whole town would be talking about it. He should go to London, leave all this behind. Bradley wasn’t above spinning this to his own advantage and now he could use it to slag off Tyler if they went up against each other again. And Tyler had hidden the truth. He knew, and he’d not told her. She got that he was just protecting her, but he’d kept her in the dark. Just like Bradley had. She’d moved from one man who hid things to another. Tyler had hidden how he felt about her for years. She was sick of people hiding things from her. But the one person who always had her back hadn’t trusted her to handle the truth. He’d put her first again, but this time it had backfired. She didn’t want a partner who wrapped her in cotton wool all her life. She had enough of the pitying stares growing up when people thought she wasn’t looking. The girl whose parents had left her to be raised by her grandparents. She didn’t want to be pitied another day. Shielded. And she wouldn’t let Tyler live his life for her either. Right now, her anger at him fuelled her resolve. Pushing him away would be easy if she just focused on that. The way she felt when she’d found out the truth. He’d saved her then too. Come runningto her side like a lumberjack warrior. Well, no more. She would do what she should have done in the first place. Before Bradley, before Ty. She would tip up her chin and follow the plan.

‘Sure can pick men, eh? Liars,’ she huffed. ‘Can’t believe I wasted a year on that man. Thought he was Mr Right, when he couldn’t have been more wrong for me.’

Tyler’s voice was thick, tortured. ‘He’s a dick, Amber. He was never right for you, not for a minute. The right man would be proud to help you get your dreams, no matter what they are. Babies, bars.’

‘And you think you’re him, right?’ She could barely look at him. Her body and her head were ripping each other apart. ‘You lied too, Tyler. You kept quiet.’About everything.

‘I know that, don’t you think I don’t get that? I should have told you. I just… didn’t want it to come from me. I never want to hurt you, Amber. Whether it’s me doing the hurting or not, I can’t bear to see you go through it.’

‘That wasn’t your choice, Tyler. I’m not some damsel.’

‘I know that; you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. But I still wanted to be there, to look after you, like you look after everyone else. Whatever you wanted, I wanted to give it to you. It tore me up watching the pair of you together, him not seeing you for everything you are. I should have hit the slimy git a damn sight sooner than I did, but I fucked up. I’m still here, fighting for you, though. I just need you to see me.’

‘I do see you, Tyler. I see that you want this, but you wanted things for yourself when we first met. I think you need to go get them. Leave me to go for mine.’

‘I can’t watch you have a baby with some man in a jar, Amber. I don’t want that for you. To watch you carry a child, on your own? It would fucking end me. Don’t you see that?’

She knew what he was saying. She’d known a while, if she washonest with herself. He was Tyler, her chef, her best friend. That was the problem. He didn’t see it like she did. After the night they’d spent together, the fear of losing him loomed louder and dominated her thoughts. Wishing that night away was something she should want but, being in his arms, locking eyes with the man she knew so well as he thrust into her, whispering her name as he shuddered around her… it was the stuff of romance books and more. Much more. Bringing a baby into a new relationship was hard, but going into one with a best friend when he knew your baby fever was rampant? The pressure was too much. It would end. Their friends would take sides; they didn’t have the anonymity of the big city. People were close in Yorkshire communities like theirs. People knew everything, right down to the lint in your jean pockets. Bringing a baby into all that was too much pressure, and she was done procrastinating. If he stayed, he’d end up picking up the pieces with her. Enduring the gossip, helping her get the Arms. She knew he’d have even been a dad to her kid, any kid she had. She wanted better for him. She needed to stand on her own two feet. She’d be fine on her own. She’d done it before.

‘It’s not that simple.’ Her voice sounded defeated, even to her own ears.

‘Don’t say that; we can get past this. If you just wait, we can?—’

Amber’s head was already shaking despite her wanting to cross the room and hug him. ‘No, Ty. I always thought we were solid: you, me, Sharon. If she’d found out about Bradley, she would have told me.’

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