Page 110 of All Our Secrets

She lifted herself out of the tire swing and walked toward me. The blood rushed to my ears as she wrapped one arm around me and looked up with those milk-chocolate eyes. “I don’t have a big, warm, welcoming family either. All I have is myself and T.J. Are you going to hold it against me?”

Once again, Peyton reminded me that I was enough. Something I should have known six years ago.

“You’re mine. You’ve always been mine,” I whispered. “Don’t think for a second I’d ever let you walk away. Just had a fucking nasty realization that I’ve truly been alone all my life. What we got might be small now, but this is me telling you it’s us now. There’s no going back. I won’t let you go.”

She dug her nails into my shirt. “I’m holding you to that.”

T.J. grunted between us, and Peyton laughed.

“Come on. I’ll show you what I have finished.” Still carrying the baby, I led Peyton inside. “The kitchen, dining area, and first floor bathroom are finished. I’m working on the living room now. Careful.” I grabbed Peyton’s hand as she stepped over the wreckage of a wall I’d torn out and scattered tools in the hallway.

“It’s fine. I can manage,” Peyton assured me, but it didn’t soothe my hammering heart.

The place was a mess, and I’d willingly brought them there because I didn’t want to go another night without them. Each day they stayed in that house was another spent worrying about what Theodore would do. He’d already proved himself capable of pushing me. Theodore was desperate about trying to communicate with Peyton. What if he hurt her by accident?

“There’s no internet, but I brought some movies.” I flicked on the light switch. Fluorescent lights hung over the kitchen sink, illuminating the brick paneling I’d installed. A black rectangle light fixture hung over a bar flanked by two stools on each side. The new flooring matched the brick wall around the stove.

There was a sharp inhale. Peyton’s brown eyes widened as she walked over and rubbed her index finger across the reddish-black marble top. “You did this?”

“I’ve been busy at the shop, or else I could have done more over the summer.”

More like I’d been too busy chasing after Peyton, checking up on Peyton, missing Peyton, and worrying about Peyton. But I kept that to myself.

“I had no idea you were so good at this kind of stuff.”

I grunted. “What did you expect?”

“Well.” She licked her lips, then paused like she wasn’t sure if she should say it. “Theodore couldn’t do anything like this. He couldn’t fix the toilet when it leaked.”

I laughed. “Because he had me, and I fixed your toilet. And a lot more, by the way.”

“I remember.” She lowered her head and sighed. “I don’t think Theodore would forgive me for what I’ve done. What we’ve done.”

“You never like what I say when we talk about this, so let’s not.”

“I’m just saying.”

“I wish Theo was here for his son, but when it comes to you—”

“You’re right. Let’s not talk because everything you say makes it worse.”

“You live for the dead. You don’t die with them. That being said, let’s grow old,oldbefore I die, because I’m it from here on out. I am your last, your best.”

“Oh my God.”

Peyton snatched T.J. from me, and I took that opportunity to gently grab the back of her neck. Her throat moved as she swallowed. “So you deny that I’m your last? Or that I’m always in your head? You think about when I’ll be between your legs again, don’t you? How much you yearn for me too.”

“Shh. There’s a baby between us.”

I went on anyway. “That’s like saying the ocean is dry.”

Her cheeks reddened. “The fact that I’m here speaks enough. If you’re going to hell, I’ll go too. I’m the one who started this.”

Peyton had no idea,no idea,how wrong she was. She might have acted first by waking me up that night, but I’d loved her since before she was another man’s wife.

“No matter how angry you get at me, or how hurt, I need you to know I’ll always fight for you.”

“Do you plan on making me angry?”

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