Page 87 of Secret Triplets for Christmas

I smiled and strode toward her, holding out my hand to take hers and silently vowing to her and her sisters and to God that I wouldn't fail them the way I'd failed Liam. I would protect them with my life if it came down to it.

25

Lindsay

To say dinner was tense and awkward was an understatement. I knew it had to be a million times worse for Oliver, but the girls were intrigued by him. And it was amazing how shy Olivia had taken to him.

After dinner, Oliver and the girls along with Grayson went back to the living room to finish their game of Candyland while I helped clean up in the kitchen.

I washed pots while my father dried, and Mira dealt with clearing the table. With only adults in the kitchen, it appeared, my father decided it was okay to discuss my sex life.

"You slept with your boyfriend's brother?"

I ground my teeth. "Ex-boyfriend. Liam and I had broken up way before I was with Oliver."

"It's still weird, don't you think?" My father looked toward Mira, probably for support in his opinion, but Mira was smart enough not to give him any.

I turned toward him. "First, I did it because I love him, and second, it's not any weirder than sleeping with your daughter's best friend."

My father's eyes narrowed. "It is a little bit weirder."

I shook my head. "No, it's not." This time, I was the one looking to Mira for support, but she lifted her hands in a gesture that said she wasn't going to get in the middle of it.

"You said you love him, present tense. Is that the case?" he asked.

I turned back to scrubbing a pot. "It doesn't really matter anymore."

My father put his hand on my shoulder. "Love always matters, Lindsay. It’s worth fighting for."

My eyes welled with tears, but I didn't want to break down crying.

"Did you hear when he said all he had done was love you?" Mira said as she came to stand next to my father.

"He says that, but then he left. Whatever love he had for me, it wasn't stronger than his need to get away from the memories here."

"What about now? You made it sound like you two were starting to develop something new,” Mira asked, helping my father dry.

I rested my hands on the edge of the sink, willing strength to fill me because this conversation caused so much ache in my chest that it was hard to breathe. "I think it's safe to say that whatever was building is now destroyed. Now, he and I are going to have to figure out how to share the girls." My voice trembled as I thought about the possibility of losing them altogether. I had to hope that Oliver’s bitterness wouldn’t result in his trying to get back at me. He didn't seem like the type to do that, but if I felt the level of pain and anger he was feeling, I might feel vengeful too.

"Whatever support you need from us, you have. You know that, don't you?" My father gave my shoulder a squeeze. "Even if that means going to court."

I nodded and shoved my hands back into the soapy water and took out my fear on the pot.

"We need to get going. Are you sure you're going to be okay here with the girls and Oliver?" Mira said.

“I’m sure.” In truth, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know how the night would progress with Oliver, but I owed it to him to give him as much time with the girls as he wanted right now. Plus, after the text we received, I felt safer having him here.

After my dad,Mira, and Grayson left, I busied myself with the final cleanup in the house, letting Oliver and the girls enjoy their time together. But eventually, it was time to get them ready for bed. They whined, wanting to spend more time with Oliver, but they complied when I reminded them that it was a school night. Oliver read them their bedtime stories, and once it was time to go to sleep, I went in and gave them a kiss good night. But with the girls now sleeping, what was going to happen between me and Oliver? Was he going to resume expressing his anger at me?

After I shut the door to the girls’ room, I found Oliver back in the living room, cleaning up the game.

"I can sleep here on the couch," he said, not looking up at me. “It'll be a good vantage point if someone tries to come in. I've been meaning to contact somebody about improving your security here. I'll be sure to do that tomorrow."

On the one hand, I was glad he wasn't yelling at me, but on the other hand, I hated how distant he felt.

"Thank you. I'll get some blankets and a pillow."

Once he was settled on the couch, I retreated to my bedroom and got ready for bed. I replayed the last five years and the last five hours of my life, desperately wishing I'd made a different decision about the girls. But it was too late now. I wondered if I could do what my father suggested and fight for love. I didn’t think so. The pain and anger in Oliver was too great. There was no way he was going to forgive me.

---