Page 89 of Mine For The Winter

Yeah, she did. This was her mess. “It’s practice. For when you leave.”Again. She didn’t say it but the word hung in the air.

She and Kris were Lyle’s only friends now. Since the drinking had pushed away everybody else. And of course his mom was gone – the reason he’d started drowning his sorrows in the bottom of a whiskey glass.

“You can’t stay with him,” Kris told her. “He’s going to end up hurting you.”

“If I leave he’ll hurt himself. This is Lyle. He took care of us at school. We promised we’d all take care of each other.”

The accusation hung in the air as they stared at each other. Kris was leaving for London on Monday. He’d been offered a job at an investment firm there, and she couldn’t blame him for taking it.

He’d be able to forget about Lyle. Forget about her. Move on and not be involved in this mess anymore.

“Come with me.” His voice was soft. He was staring at her intently.

“What?”

“Come to London with me.” He wasn’t joking. There was no smile on his face, no twinkle in his eye. He walked toward her, only stopping when he was close enough that she had to stare up to look at him. His palms cupped her cheeks as he lowered his brow to touch hers. “You can’t save him. You know that somewhere deep inside. You can only save yourself.”

She let out a breath of ragged air. For a moment she pictured herself in London with Kris. Eating cakes and drinking tea in a small café by the river. Exploring another country together. And in her mind they were always laughing, because that’s what they did.

Until now. Here. Lyle.

“I can’t.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. And every part of her lit up like she was the tree in the town square. “I don’t want to leave without you.”

“Lyle…”

“Is gonna kill himself or get into rehab. We know that. I want you to come with me. I’m in love with you, Kel.”

Tears itched at her eyes. How many times had she longed to hear him say that over the years?

And now it was too late.

“I’m pregnant.”

It was the first time she’d uttered the words since she’d taken the test that morning. It sounded like a bomb going off in the room. Kris stared at her, his thick eyelashes sweeping down as he blinked.

“Are you going to keep it?”

A sob pulled through her. “Yes.”

Kris said nothing for a moment. Just held her face in his strong, sure palms. He stared down at her, his breath warm against her skin.

“Then you both come with me.” He kissed her brow, her cheek, and then his lips brushed against hers.

She should pull away. But she couldn’t. Instead she kissed him back, that sob still in the back of her throat. His mouth was soft, sure, his fingers trailing down her cheeks to her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. How could a kiss make her feel so desired yet so safe at the same time?

“What the fuck?”

Lyle staggered into the living room, looking almost ludicrous in just his boxers, his hair askew, his eyes not quite focused.

“Lyle…” Panicked, she looked from him to Kris. “It’s not what it looks like.”

“You’re cheating on me? With him?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not. It was a mistake. I’m sorry.”

But Lyle wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at Kris. And Kris was staring right back at him.

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