Page 27 of Say You Want Me
And that would be a bad thing.
WYATT TAKES MY HAND ASwe walk back to our house, and I let him. It feels comfortable, which leaves a very uncomfortable feeling in my chest. It shouldn’t be as easy as it is. I’ve never liked guys who were touchy-feely, and it makes me wonder why with Wyatt I almost crave it.
Is it because he’s so sweet? Is it because this is how it’s meant to be? I don’t know about any of this, and Presley is no help. She just smiles when I explain how I feel. It makes no sense that I actuallylikehim as much as I do in such a short amount of time.
We continue down the path, and I admire the set up the Hennington’s have. They all live on the same piece of land, but they’re not on top of each other. His parents live in what he calls the main house. I call it a freaking mansion. Trent, Wyatt, and Zach all have homes on the property, but Zach’s original place is no longer occupied since he and Presley built their own home.
“Hey,” I say, stopping dead in my tracks. “Why am I staying with you in your house when Zach’s house is empty?”
“Because it’s not where you belong.” Wyatt stands in front of me, and I remove my hand from his.
That makes no sense. He wants me here, but he could at least let me have my own space. I’m kind of pissed at him . . . and Presley. Neither of them thought about how much I would maybe need some separation. “Why? Why would you do that?”
“Where is this coming from? You never said a word when we were makin’ arrangements. So why are you suddenly pissed?”
“I don’t know, but I am.” Probably because I didn’t think of it sooner, which isn’t the damn point. “You never gave me a choice. You said I would move here and stay with you. It was decided for me. I still could’ve gotten to know you while living down the road.”
“No,” Wyatt says with finality.
“No?”
“No. You were staying with me. It wasn’t mentioned because it wasn’t an option.”
My mouth falls open. “And why not?”
“Because you’re pregnant and you gave me limited time. You’re exactly where I need you.”
Once again, he renders me speechless. Where heneedsme? What does that even mean? I start to think back to some of the comments he’s made and try to decipher any hidden meanings. Wyatt didn’t protest after he got over his shock. He went into “man mode” and wanted to fix it all. I chalked it up to him being a good guy and wanting to take care of me, but I wonder if there’s more. “So that’s all I am?” I ask. “I’m just the girl you got pregnant who needs you to take care of her? This is why you went all commando and tried to tell me we were getting married?” I shoot the questions off in rapid fire.
“No!” He steps forward. “Maybe when you first said that you were pregnant, my mind went there. But shit, Ang. We’re not kids, and this isn’t something new between us. I don’t understand why you won’t see that you’re not some obligation. I like you. I like bein’ around you. I didn’t offer Zach’s place, because I wanted you close to me. I wanted to see if we were more two years ago, but neither of us were going to move, so I let it go. Why won’t you put down your guard?”
Because once upon a time when I believed in fairy tales, Iwasthe girl who wanted to be married and have a family. I believed that it would happen, yet it never seemed right. No man seemed worthy of my time. No prince ever showed up, and I learned the hard way that a lot of men would treat me like shit, so I let go of that stupid dream and lived in reality. I built my own damn castle with really high walls. It was a fortress, sturdy enough to ensure I could never be hurt. Now, here Wyatt is with his cannon, finding ways to break my armor. He’s finding cracks in the foundation, and I have to stop him.
That girl can’t be uncovered.
That girl is stupid.
That girl will get her heart broken because this man only wants her because she’s pregnant.
“Because . . .” I trail off. “You’re . . . such an . . . Ugh! I don’t even know!”
Wyatt steps forward, and I have to lean back to see his eyes. The sun is setting behind me, shining on his face, and the way he looks at me . . . leaves me breathless. It’s as if I’m the center of his world. It reminds me of how Zach looks at Presley. “I’m doing what’s right. You can call me whatever you want. But you’re pregnant with my baby, and that means I’m takin’ care of you.”
“I’m completely capable of taking care of myself. I’ve been alone and been perfectly fine.”
“It means you belong with me,” he carries on as if I haven’t spoken. “I’m gettin’ pretty tired of explaining this to you. I’ve made it clear to you that I want to make whatever this is work. You’re so hell bent on doin’ this on your own that you won’t even see anything else. If I gave you space, it would solidify your point that you should stay away. You can do this on your own, I know that. But why would you want to? Why are you so adamant about being alone? Why won’t you see that there’s a whole lot of people who want to be a part of your life?”
“Because it never stays that way!” I yell and cup my hand over my mouth. A tear falls from my eyes as the truth comes out.
And there it is.
In my heart, I know why. He’s the kind of guy I want to want me. He’s strong, sexy, caring, and so much more. There are layers to Wyatt, and I want to peel back each one of them. It was why I kept finding ways to be around him when I visited. It was why I practically jumped at the chance to sleep with him. Because Wyatt makes me feel alive. He’s excavated the parts of me I’ve buried under sarcasm and attitude, the girl who wants a man to love her.
But fairy tales don’t come true.
People die.
And I’m destined to be forgotten.
