Page 78 of Forbidden Love

I knocked on the door, holding the container. As much time as we spent together, Kylie hadn’t given me a key. I hoped that wasn’t a sign of bad things to come.

She opened the door, her fingers curling around the edge of the wood. “Tyler. Hey.”

I stepped inside. “I brought cake.”

She smiled softly and took the offered container. “Just what I needed.”

I wanted to be everything she needed all the time. But would she let me? I followed her into the kitchen where she grabbed a fork and set the container on the counter. With a flick of her finger, the lid flew off, and she immediately cut a bite and brought it to her lips. Her eyes closed, and she moaned.

I shifted on my feet as all the blood in my body drained south. “You’re making it hard for me to stay over here.”

Her eyes popped open, and she smiled. “This hit the spot.”

“How was dinner with your family?” I asked, feeling like I already knew the answer.

“Let’s see. I bared my soul to them, and they had no idea how I’d felt over the years.”

“Your brothers?” I asked, hopeful they’d change their ways when it came to her. It was my only hope.

She shook her head. “They left to give me some time alone with Mom and Dad.”

“How did your parents react?”

“They were surprised but supportive. They didn’t think I wanted anything to do with the business.”

“Is that true?”

She blew out a breath, her shoulders sagging. “You know, it might have been. If they’d offered me a position then, I might have said no. I was enthralled with Europe. I was free for the first time in my life. No one was telling me who to date or what I couldn’t have.”

“It sounds like Europe was the right choice for you then.” Was it now too?

“My parents said the event coordinator position is mine if I want it.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding.

“But I’m going to send out résumés to hotels too, just to see what’s out there.”

My stomach dropped. “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? A position in your family’s business?”

Her lips pursed. “I’m not sure. I thought it was, but I wouldn’t have turned down Paris for it. So maybe that’s my answer.”

I wanted to ask, what if you had a reason to stay? What if I was the reason you stayed? Would she always be happy, or would she grow to resent me?

“I don’t know what I want. Not really. I thought I wanted this one thing, and now that they handed it to me, I’m not happy.”

“I don’t know that you are always happy. Maybe it’s more of a feeling of rightness. Like I always wanted to work with my family, and now that I am, I feel content.”

“I just feel drained.”

“You just bared your soul, as you said. It was a lot. Maybe you’ll feel differently in the morning.”

She nodded and took another bite of the cake. “You’re right. Can you open a bottle of wine? I’m in the mood to relax tonight.”

I grabbed the cork and opened the wine bottle she’d pointed out on the counter. I hoped it wasn’t so she could forget everything. That she was looking for an escape. I’d hoped to be that for her. But what if it wasn’t me that gave her that? What if it was having a job on the other side of the world?

How did I convince her this was enough, living here and loving me? Did I need to convince her of anything? Shouldn’t she just know?

As I poured the wine into the two glasses she’d set in front of me, I knew I needed to talk to her brothers. Even if nothing came from our time together, they deserved to know, and it had to come from me, not her. It was important for me to clear the air. I was the one who was supposed to be protecting her while I was sleeping with her. I’d slept with my friends’ sister, and it was time to come clean.

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