Page 13 of Open Secrets
They didn’t. The woman edged closer, her voice shrill. “Don’t let her do this—”
“Fuck off!” Lyle roared, his face inches from hers.
She stumbled back, but the man surged forward, fury twisting his face. He leaned in, screaming, spit spraying across my cheek.
Lyle’s fist flashed, and the man dropped like a sack of bricks.
The woman shrieked something about assault, but Lyle didn’t flinch. His hand pressed to the small of my back, steady, solid, guiding me through the doors.
Inside, the noise cut off like a switch.
The receptionist looked up, unbothered, sliding a clipboard across the counter when I gave my name. My hand shook as I took it.
I took a seat and Lyle dropped beside me.
The pen hovered useless in my grip. Finally, I turned. “What are you doing here?”
“Couldn’t let you do this alone.” His voice was simple, firm.
Relief flooded me so sharp it hurt. “I—uh—I thought you came to…” My voice trailed.
“Stop you? No. God, no.”
I gave him a look.
He rubbed the back of his neck, wincing. “I’m not ready to be a dad. I mean—I’m still a kid. You’re still a kid. We’re kids. We can’t have a kid.”
A breath shook loose from me. “Relax. I agree with you.”
Lowering my eyes, I started on the form. Halfway through, a question snagged me. My throat tightened. I looked up. “Do you mind if I name you as my emergency contact? I just… I don’t want my dad to—”
His hand landed on my arm, warm and firm. “Of course.”
I managed a small, shaky smile. “I still can’t believe you punched that guy. He deserved it, sure, but isn’t there some rule about hitting civilians?”
Lyle scratched his head, almost sheepish. “Is there?”
A laugh slipped out of me, fragile but real. “You’ve changed.”
He shrugged, his mouth twitching like he was fighting the truth. “I’m growing up, I guess. Learning to stand on my own. It’s still strange, doing whatever the fuck I want without my mom calling.”
I let out a short laugh. “She must love that.”
He shook his head, eyes going distant as I finished the form and handed it to the receptionist. She told me to wait so I headed back to my seat.
“I’m not gonna lie,” he said. “When you dumped me, it hurt.”
I looked at him, startled by the sudden confession. I had hated how I ended things. Regretted it even.
His voice dipped lower. “But now… with my life the way it is, it’s the best thing. For both of us. I see the guys who held on to past relationships, and they’re miserable. Clinging to something that can’t survive. It’s brutal.”
His jaw tightened, his next words pressed through his teeth. “The only reason my parents made it, is because my mom gave up her life for my dad. And I would never want you to do that.”
A nurse opened the inner door, her voice slicing through the hush of the waiting room.
“Maria?”
I rose, legs unsteady, his words still echoing in my chest as I stepped toward her. Just before the door, I glanced back.
