Page 92 of A Kiss at Midnight

“You guys are ridiculous!” Byron thunders. “Are you listening to what you’re saying? Do you want to be just like our father?”

Byron stands up, his chair flying out behind him, and both Tyler and I watch as he storms from the room. We sit for a few moments in stunned silence before Tyler speaks again.

“Don’t let this woman get away from you, Blake, or you’ll go back to feeling and acting like that,” he says as he points toward the door.

“Byron’s fine,” I say. But I can’t deny the words. I’m not at all like my father, but Ihadbeen like my brother, and not too long ago — not trusting anyone, lying as easily as I speak the truth, and treating women as nothing more than play toys whose only purpose in life is to please me. I don’t want to be that man anymore. I want to be the man in love with Jewel. Iamthe man in love with Jewel.

“I haven’t said the words, Tyler, but she has to know how much I love her.”

“How can she know if you haven’t told her?” Tyler asks.

“Because I show her every single day. We make love and it’s burning in my eyes. We snuggle on the couch, and Ihaveto touch her. With everything I do, every hour of every single day, I have her in mind. She’s my world, she and Justin both, and I can’t imagine living without them now. Is that romantic enough for you? Sensitive enough, little bro?”

“Why are you tellingmethis, and nother?” Tyler asks.

“I... I don’t know.” Am I the biggest of fools? It feels like it.

“Look, she’s had a rough year, Blake, and even though you were an ass, she still managed to fall for you. So you get this great woman, and she has a brother she adores, a boy you’ve grown to love as well, and now you get him too, and then you don’t tell her you’ve adopted him,andyou don’t tell her how much you love her. What do you think she’s thinking right now?”

“I don’t know!” I shout.

“She thinks she’s disposable.”

“How can she possibly think that?”

“If you ever figure out how a woman’s mind works, please enlighten us all,” Tyler says, attempting a joke. I’m not in the mood.

“I won’t lose her, Tyler. I can’t!”

“Then go and fight for her.”

“How can I fight for her if she won’t talk to me?” I ask, furious that I sound so weak right now.

“You have to prove to her that you love her,” Tyler says. “And, Blake, it won’t be easy, because now she has walls in place. So you’d better have one hell of a plan before you storm the fortress.”

When I leave the office building, I have no idea what I’m going to do. But I plan to figure it out before I go after Jewel. I was foolish during our entire relationship. I’m done with being that thoughtless man. I’m going to be the person Jewel deserves.

Chapter Review

Chapter Fifty-Four

Blake

Breathe.”

I stand outside Jewel’s door and wonder how long I’ll have to wait. I’ve knocked three times already and there’s still no answer. I’ll stay here all night if I have to.

Finally, the door opens, and she’s standing before me. I inhale deeply when I see the way she looks, and guilt consumes me. I’m to blame for the circles beneath her puffy eyes, and for her ashen cheeks.

Even though she looks as if she’s lost her entire world, she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. It’s because I have no doubt that she loves me and will be mine forever. I won’t leave until she knows I love her. Then if I must, I’ll give her space. I want her to have free will.

“Do you think I married you to gain control over you?” I ask, deciding it’s best to get straight to the point.

“Yes, Blake, and I don’t blame you for it. It’s who you are. You’ve never tried to hide that from me.” Her voice is flat, so sad, ripping me to my very soul.

“Would you still be with me if you didn’t have to be?”

This makes her pause. She looks at me for several heartbeats, all sorts of emotions rushing through her eyes, but the final one to settle in her liquid depths is deep-seated sadness.

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