Page 84 of Forbidden Love

Xander’s ire was misplaced because I had looked out for her, just not in the way that he wanted. I’d crossed a line that shouldn’t have been there at all. Anger surged through me that her brothers had messed up the best thing in my life. It was easier to be pissed at Xander than to take a hard look at myself.

I got the hell out of there because I didn’t want to hang around for Oliver and Eli to show up. I wasn’t ready to explain anything to them. Besides, I had a feeling they’d greet me with a fist, not questions.

It was Saturday, and we’d planned on knocking out some work at the house, so I drove to my property, to the house I’d secretly hoped would be mine and Kylie’s.

I wanted this house to be hers as much as it was mine. But now I’d screwed everything up, and there was no chance those dreams would come to fruition.

I’d parked in the driveway but couldn’t seem to get out of the truck. All my hopes and dreams flashed before my eyes. Kylie, our future children, her family, and mine. Was it too much to hope for? Was it never in the cards for me?

A sharp rap on the window startled me.

“You planning on working today?” Sam asked; his expression, initially amused, morphed into concern.

I sighed, trying to cover the tumultuous feelings that had to be swirling on my face, and got out of the truck.

I felt heavy, as if my shoulders were weighted down with concrete. My chest tightened to the point that breathing was difficult. All I could see was the accusation in Kylie’s voice, the pain in her eyes, and then her back as she walked away from me.

She’d said she loved me, and I hadn’t said it back.

“Is everything okay?” Sam asked.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” I ran a hand through my hair, and my stomach rumbled.

“I thought you were grabbing breakfast with Kylie before you showed her the progress on the house?”

“Never made it to breakfast,” I said as I took measured steps toward the front door.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Sam asked, his tone laced with concern.

“Xander saw us together.” It hurt to say it out loud.

Sam shook his head, and his disappointment was almost as painful as Kylie’s. “I was afraid that was going to happen. You guys weren’t exactly hiding it.”

“I meant to talk to him. It was on my list of things to do, but I didn’t do it before he saw us. I thought we could explain it away. We worked together, after all.”

“Then what did he see?”

“Us kissing,” I said with a heavy heart as I headed toward the noise.

Mac had safety goggles and a hard hat on while he drilled something. I couldn’t even focus on what he was doing.

“Hey, man,” Mac said, removing his goggles and standing. “You’re early. Where’s Kylie?”

“She’s not coming.” I felt exhausted, as if I hadn’t slept in days, and achy, as if a fever was coming on.

“Xander caught them kissing in town.”

Mac removed his helmet and leaned a hip against the beam. “I take it you never talked to him.”

“I meant to, but there wasn’t time. At first, I thought it was temporary, so there was no point. Then when it became obvious she was the one for me, I wanted to make sure Kylie felt the same way. That’s what breakfast was supposed to be about, but I was too late.”

Mac winced. “She’s pissed?”

“Oh yeah. Xander asked me to watch out for her, and I didn’t tell her that. Now she thinks none of what we shared was real.”

Sam chuckled. “She thinks you slept with her as some misguided attempt to take care of her?”

“I don’t know what she thinks. Maybe that I got close to her under the guise of caring for her and then took advantage of the situation.” I hated that she thought that. I needed to clear the air, but how? Would she even talk to me?

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