Page 21 of Exposed

Tanner walked over and laughed. “It’s just an apartment. A penthouse. The little man is confused.”

“But…” Jacob scrunched his mouth to the side as he stared up at Tanner. “But I saw it, Abuelo.”

“It’s a big apartment,” Tanner said with a wink. “Shall we head to bed, Young Jacob?”

“Noooo.”

“It’s late, sweet boy,” I said.

“Noooooo.”

I peppered his face in kisses until he laughed. And his laughter quickly turned to a yawn. He rested his head against my shoulder. “I’ll be right back,” I whispered to Tanner.

Jacob yawned again as I laid him down in his bed. I pulled his covers up and was just about to tiptoe out of the room when he opened his eyes again.

“I saaaaw it,” he said. “Abuelo lives in a castle.”

“I believe you.” I believed that a penthouse apartment could certainly be decorated like a castle. The apartments in New York looked one way on the outside but could be completely different on the inside. Felix’s place and my father’s looked the same on the outside. But they couldn’t be more different on the inside.

Jacob nodded and closed his eyes again.

I leaned down and kissed his forehead. I waited until his light snores started before I tiptoed out and closed the door behind me.

Tanner was waiting downstairs with a roaring fire and a glass of wine for me again.

“I feel like I’m going to need to see this castley apartment of yours,” I said.

He smiled. “Brooklyn, are you propositioning yourself to me?”

I almost spit out my wine.

“I only jest. I know you’re in love with my best friend.”

I knew he was going to want to talk about this. But I didn’t really know what to say. I couldn’t love Matt. I couldn’t because I still loved Miller.

“Please tell me that the two of you talked?”

“We did.” I took another big sip of wine.

“So he knows about Jacob? How did he seem when you told him? Was he upset? I kind of thought the both of you might come back here together. Did he say where he was going?” He checked his phone like he was expecting Matt to be calling him.

“I didn’t get to mention Jacob. Matt knows I went to the lake house to be with Miller. But he cut off my story. He just wanted to know why I was back. He knows I married Miller. And that Miller…died. But that’s it. I didn’t get to mention my father’s possible involvement in Miller’s death. And Matt doesn’t know about anything else in between. But he…he won’t…”

Tanner reached out and grabbed my hand.

“He’s never going to forgive me, Tanner. He was mad enough about me getting married. He doesn’t want to hear about any of it. And those years with Miller are all I want to think about.”

“I know.”

“Matt says he still loves me.”

“He does.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I think he hates me. And even if he says he doesn’t, how could he not?”

“Do you feel like he should hate you?”

I sniffed. “Yeah. I’d hate me. If I had just stayed and talked to him after I escaped from my father…” I let my voice trail off. I refused to think about that.

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