Page 83 of Stone Vows

“All the more reason for me not to stay here,” I say. “I have a place outside the city, about an hour from here.”

“No. We can’t protect you there. He tracked you here. Tomyhospital. Who knows how long it would take for him to track you to your new place. Caden and I agree that it’s best for you to stay here, with me. You and Ellie can stay in the second bedroom. It’s not set up like a nursery anymore, but we’ll make do.”

“What do you mean,anymore?”

“The day you left the hospital, Gavin and I moved everything from his garage into my spare bedroom. He gave me a crib, a changing table . . . everything.”

I look at him with wide, undeserving eyes. “You did all that forme?”

“Why wouldn’t I, Lexi? I wanted you. I wanted Ellie. And you just left. I know it wasn’t because Grant found you, so tell me, why did you leave without so much as a word?”

His intense gaze is fierce. It’s demanding. It’s begging for the truth. The truth I was unwilling to reveal until now. But that’s why I came here, isn’t it? To tell him the truth. To get him back—that is if I ever really had him.

“When I found out you had paid for my hospital stay, everything changed. I know how much that must have cost. I knew I’d always be indebted to you. It felt likehimall over again.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing in frustration. “I would never expect anything in return. I didn’t even want you to find out about it. And, God, I would never lay a hand on you. Onanywoman.”

I nod, finding it hard to keep tears from pooling in my eyes. “I know. I think I always knew. I panicked, Kyle. But these past months, I’ve had a lot of time to think about things. And I had to come back. I had to find out.”

“Had to find out what?” he asks.

“If . . . if . . .” I look into his eyes and then down at the floor.

He scrubs a hand across his jaw and shakes his head. “Lexi, it’s been a long time. And you weren’t the only one who had time to think. Before I met you, I was one-hundred-percent focused on my career. I didn’t have time for relationships. It was hard enough to find time to keep up with my brothers. I can’t do that again. Relationships cloud judgment. They take away from what’s most important to me. I have to put my career first. I’m sorry.”

I swallow the colossal-sized lump in my throat, biting back the tears that threaten to fall. “It’s okay,” I say, walking to the massive wall of windows to gaze out onto the city below.

It’s not okay. I love you. I’ve loved you ever since you made me play that stupid Jell-O game.

“Lexi,” he says, his reflection looking guilty as he comes up behind me.

He holds his arm out as if he’s going to touch me, but at the last second, he pulls back. He squeezes his eyes shut and mouths a cuss word. He runs his hands through his hair again. He does that when he’s frustrated. He looks up at the ceiling and blows out a long breath. He’s completely unaware that I’m seeing all of this. He thinks I’m looking out the window when I’m really looking at him. His reflection. And I can see it as clear as day. And it tells me the opposite of what his words did. It tells me that he’s not over me, that maybe I still have a chance.

Instead of touching me, he stands next to me. “I still want you to stay here. Until we can figure this Grant thing out. We’ll meet with Ethan, he’s a private investigator. He can tell us what to do.”

I shake my head. “No. I don’t want anyone contacting Grant. I’m not putting Ellie at risk.”

“But—”

“Nobody is contacting him, Kyle. Or I’m getting Ellie and we’re walking out that door.”

“Fine,” he says, frustration spilling out of him in a fiery sigh. Then he puts his hands on my shoulders and turns me so we’re facing each other. “If that’s what it takes to get you to stay.”

I want to smile. I want to smile, because even though he doesn’t want me, he’s willing to do anything to have me here.

And I’m going to stay, because I’m willing to do anything to get him back.

Chapter Thirty-eight

Sunlight shines through my eyelids, causing me to wake from one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a long time. I almost forgot where I was. But even before I open my eyes, the smell reminds me. I’m in Kyle’s apartment. In Kyle’s bed.

He insisted on taking the futon in his guest room. He didn’t want to disturb Ellie.

I reach out my arm to find my daughter, but all I run into are pillows. My heart races as I quickly crawl to the side of the bed to see if she’s fallen off. But the floor is empty. I hop out of bed and go out in the living room, stopping in my tracks when I see Kyle holding Ellie.

He’s sitting on the couch, his back to me. He’s singing that song,‘This is the way the ladies ride . . .’as he bounces her on his knee.

And I know he must be making funny faces as he sings, because Ellie is laughing.

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