Page 50 of Falling for You

My eyes connect with Taylor's dark blue ones, and everything around me disappears as I take him in. Standing outside my open door, wearing just sweats and I can see he’s been here a while.

My eyes go over him and they tear seeing a bruise on the right side of his jaw and another going down his whole side.

“I’m okay, Firecracker,” he confirms, “I had all the tests when I got in this morning, and all came back clear; the paperwork is on the counter as proof.”

I sniffle as I make eye contact with him again, I walk over to him without a word. He furrows his brows when I drop the bags but soon gets the memo when I push my body into his with our son and place my head over his heart, the beating instantly soothing me as he wraps his arms around me. I allow my tears to fall, and I allow the feelings I have tried so hard to squash to overcome me.

I’m in love with him.

Chapter 20

Taylor

I run a hand through my hair, lean my elbows on my knees, and drop my head. It’s late, really fucking late, and both Pen and Hudson are asleep; well, Hudson’s gone back to sleep.

He fussed an hour ago and I quickly grabbed him before he could wake his momma up. I changed his diaper and fed him before settling him again, and Pen didn’t even stir, which is good.

When she got home from work, she broke down in my arms, and it fucking gutted me. I spent the rest of the evening keeping her and our son in my arms. Even when she fed Hudson and changed him, she did it right near me like she couldn’t bear being an inch away, showing me without realizing how much I actually mean to her.

After she fell asleep in my arms, I carried her to bed, placed Hudson in his, and cleaned up her condo. Then, I just sat here, my head all over the place.

She loves me. She’s proven that when I got knocked out and then cemented it over the three days that I was still away, needing to be in contact with me by video chat. She just won’t give in to me, and I don’t know why.

My phone vibrates, and I quickly grab it and see that it’s Tony.

“Hey, Tone, how’s Avery doing?” I answer.

She’s finally fucking divorcing her husband and is now living with Tony. Something a lot of us, including Tony, mentioned could be too soon after leaving her abusive husband, but Avery wanted to make her own decisions.

She acted like she hasn’t had one decision that was her own even though she has all this time. While yes, her parents pushed her in the direction that they wanted. She followed when she could have gone the same route as her sister, but she wanted the lavish lifestyle and now we’re all treating her with kid’s gloves, including Tony.

Turns out she hit Harry first when he called her a slut and when Pen shouted at her for putting herself in that kind of situation Avery had a breakdown.

I get it, I do, she had put up with a lot with Harry but she wasn’t forced to walk down that aisle. Even after seeing Tony beforehand and she wasn’t forced to stay with him while screwing her brother-in-law. Losing her shit on Pen because she didn’t like hearing some fucking real truths was out of the question, though, her father shouldn’t have encouraged the situation to begin with. Especially when everyone knows Harry’s an abusive prick.

The fucker beat four of his ex-girlfriends and his dad had to pay them off just so it didn’t affect Tony.

“Actually, it’s not Tony,” Avery replies and I sigh.

“Is Tony aware you’re calling me?” I ask her, and she snorts.

“Hell no,” she admits, “Actually, he told me to give you and my sister some time now that you’re home especially with how I acted at the hospital, but well…”

Her words trail off, and I chuckle.

“You want to meddle hoping to make amends with your sister huh?” I confirm, and she hums.

“Only because I know my sister and I think you are most likely confused right now,” she says, “She’s finally broken part of her walls for you, but not all of them, and I know I didn’t help today especially when she was trying to help me. I just wanted to let you know the reason why….”

“Okay…” I lean back on the couch and confirm, “I’m listening.”

She sighs and admits, “It’s our father,” I frown but don’t interrupt, and she continues, “She loves you, Taylor, she does, so don’t think otherwise. I mean, she wasn’t just trying to find you because of Huddy. She regretted the moment she left your place that morning. She was struggling to control her emotions and life. For years she’s rebelled against our family and only held onto her virginity for as long as she did because she knew how much more Dad could have gotten for her with it still intact, and she wanted to piss him off.

Our parents wanted her to be the perfect lawyer to take the firm with that ass Zane by her side despite knowing she never wanted to be a lawyer. They expected more from her without considering her feelings,” she sighs, “Our parents were close with Zane’s and dad promised her hand even after she declined several times. He tried pushing the contract on her for years just like mom tried pushing dancing and frilly dresses on her but all that did was push her away from them. To the point there isn’t much of a relationship between them.” She quiets for a moment while she allows me to take in her words before she continues, “She used to be a daddy’s girl until she overheard him having aconversation with Mr. Andrews. Dad said his daughter is worth more than a certain amount, and that is when she decided she was done with him and done with being mom’s doll. She only tolerated their presence because of me. She was trying to be my support because I decided to continue with the wedding that they pushed on me until she announced that she was pregnant. He disowned her and she promised not to go public with what he was trying to force on her if he ensured Harry didn’t hit me again. So yet again, she’s putting everyone else above her needs while we all walked away when she needed us the most. It all happened in front of the Andrews and dad, well he messed up, he stood back and allowed Zane to slap his pregnant daughter.”

I tense, and anger shoots through me at this new information.

That fucker hit her!?

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