Page 37 of Fight For Us
“Oh God,” I groaned. “I said a lot of things if my memory serves. What do you mean?”
“How you said you’re in debt with the hospital and you have no insurance… and all of that.” He closed his mouth but looked like he had more to say.
“I can’t believe I told you about that.”
“I’m glad you did. All jokes aside, it’s not healthy to keep that all in.” He laughed dryly. “I’m one to talk.”
Now I was curious. “What doyoumean?”
He pulled on the back of his neck, giving me a peek at the underside of his thick bicep. “I haven’t told anyone about this, so please keep it between us.”
My pulse picked up. I didn’t like the emptiness in his tone, the desperation. “Of course.”
“My ex-wife’s parents are trying to come after me for custody of Lilly.” He stared absently at the horizon while I let his words sink in.
“Can they do that? I’m no expert in that sort of thing but don’t the biological parents have rights first?”
“I don’t know. Shit. I’ve been so all over the place since Sav dropped her off, every day has felt like survival mode. They have eyes and ears everywhere though. They know Lilly’s failing school, they know I’m working all the time, they even know she wanders when my parents are supposed to be watching her.” Amuscle in his jaw ticked as he continued, “Maybe they’re right. Maybe she would be better off with them.”
“Do you really mean that? I know Lilly’s having a hard time adjusting but she loves you.” My knee shook on its own accord.
He blew out a long breath. “No, I don’t mean it. Regina and Gerald are some of the worst people I’ve ever met. I can’t let them have Lilly, but I don’t know what to do. They said they’d come after me with their team of lawyers if I didn’t make a decision by the new year. If that happens it might be out of my hands.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. What can I do to help?” His gaze met mine, a question in them.
“I think I have a solution. Something that could help us both.” He wrung his T-shirt between his fist.
“Okay…” I drew out the word. “Now I’m curious.”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy but hear me out.”
“Just tell me. I’m already anxious and the hangover isn’t helping.”
“Let’s get married.”
I searched his expression for any hint of jest, finding none. He sat straight as a rod, hands fiddling with his shirt, jaw clenching as he ground his teeth.
“You’re serious?”
“Dead serious,” he responded. I stood and started to pace the space in front of me, my head spinning. “Talk to me, Tiger.”
“Why—How? What would us getting married accomplish?”
“Health insurance for you and Alex, plus I’m happy to help pay his hospital bills. I’d offer that anyway, since he got hurt helping Lilly. And for me, it would show Regina that I was settling down—a family man. Lilly would have a stepmother and stepbrother. From what I researched, having two parents in the house is ideal in custody situations, if it came to that.”
Everything he said made sense in a pragmatic way but my brain couldn’t wrap around the notion of marriage. Husband and wife, till death do us part, marriage. My feet left divots in the seagrass, moist with morning dew, as I paced the space in front of my door.
“Say something, Tiger,” he pleaded.
“Something.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
I stopped in front of him. “I don’t know what to say. I want to help you and Lilly, truly, I do. And although I hate that I admitted my baggage to you last night, I’m glad I talked about it… but marriage as a solution? I’m sorry, but that’s absurd.”
The way his shoulders sagged had guilt clawing at my gut. I knew there was no reason to feel bad. This plan was bonkers and I wouldn’t hold myself responsible for a man’s bruised ego. But still… maybe I’d been too harsh.
“Wes, I’m sorry. I appreciate the sentiment and if there’s anything I can do to help I will, but I can’t marry you.” I huffed, picturing the shit show of us as a married couple. “We bicker all the time and you just said you don’t like me that way. And what about our families? Would we lie to them? It would be a mess.”
