Page 81 of Tied in Knots
Great. Of course he didn’t try to make it easy for me. Big, fat, annoying alpha. Okay, he is only one of those things. Two at best.
“Are you in any trouble?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t running from you. I needed to go to the family planning clinic. That’s all. I didn’t want to say. I was too shy, and we haven’t had that conversation yet about kids and stuff.” This was an easy conversation to have with a door between us.
“Oh.”
“Do you want kids, Xander?”
“Never thought about it.” His short tone tells me he is lying.
“Liar.” I call him out. It’s the best way with him, with all of them. They respond to directness. Playing games and pissing about will get me absolutely nowhere. It’s liberating to speak my mind. I wish I’d been able to do it years ago. The rebel inside me is bursting to come out now.
He snorts. “That’s not nice.”
“Truth hurts.”
“And the hits keep on coming.”
“I can’t smell lies, but I know you, Xander.”
He sighs. “Faith. You are very precious. I am not cut out to raise a child.”
“Of course you are. You have more love to give than you think. Your heart is big and beautiful.”
“Fuck off,” he grouses.
I snicker. “We can table that. I’m not ready for kids yet, anyway. That was the whole point of the stupid endeavour that I went on.”
His silence speaks volumes.
“Do you forgive me?”
“Nothing to forgive. You did what you felt was right for you. You are used to being on your own. You forget that you have four men here who would die for you. A lift into town is nothing, Faith. Please remember that in future.”
“Okay,” I whisper, tears pricking my eyes. “I don’t deserve any of you.”
“Stop that right now. I don’t do pity parties. Get your act together because you won’t get sympathy from me. I don’t understand it.”
“Ouch.”
“Fact.”
“Okay.”
I smile and oddly feel a thousand times better about everything.
“I’m going to try to get some sleep,” I say, stifling a yawn.
“I’ll be here.” He takes his fingers back, but I keep mine where they are. I have no intention of moving a muscle.
After a few moments, he grips my fingers again and settles down.
* * *
A few hours later, known by the bright, low sun shining through the window, I wake up to a commotion on the other side of the door.
