Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
She had to know it was an impossibility.
But if we were going to pull this thing off?
We had to convince people it was real, and shit, my heart sank at what I had to do, but my mom would never fucking approve if she knew the plan we’d concocted.
I forced myself to move, boots thudding the floor as I warily approached where they stood together like they were the best of friends.
My heart climbed up to take residence in my throat as I stretched a shaking hand toward Tessa.
Confusion filled her expression before she slowly reached out and accepted it. Warmth streaked up my arm.
Exactly the way I wished it wouldn’t.
I tugged her to stand at my side, shifting her around so we both were facing my mom.
I sucked for a steadying breath, holding on to Tessa like it would give me strength.
“Oh, good, he’s going to say something,” Mom teased.
I sent her a soft glare, then struggled to keep my voice light when I said, “Figured official introductions are in order. Tessa, this is my mom, Cheryl.” Hesitation held the confession for a second before I pushed it out. “Mom, I want you to meet Tessa, my fiancée.”
A tremor rocked through Tessa’s body at my proclamation, though she managed to keep it together.
My mother didn’t fare so well.
She went pale and came close to buckling, and her hand shot out to the wall to keep herself steady as she was rocked with the impact of my lie that she believed only as the truth.
“What? How? When?”
The questions tumbled fast.
Guilt locked up my tongue.
Tessa gave me another squeeze, her voice this low, compassionate thing when she quickly spoke, “I met Milo through our friends, Trent and Eden. I always had this secret thing for him, like instant, from the second I saw him.”
A husky, nervous giggle rolled up her throat as she peeked at me before she returned her attention to my mom.
“But I had a boyfriend at the time, who was a total jerk. Things were never going to work out for us. So, when Milo found out I’d ended it, he asked me to dinner. We clicked. And I know it’s fast, but this…what we have? It’s beautiful.”
Her hand twitched against mine. That message for me.
It was beautiful.
What we were doing.
Fighting for my kids.
Swallowing hard, I lifted her hand and brought the back of it to my lips.
“She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I muttered.
I should have known this wasn’t gonna end well when I didn’t have to dig all that deep for the deception.
Still, shame flared.
Clawed.
Gutted me from the inside.
Tears started streaming down my mom’s face.
Fuck.
This was brutal.
She breathed a couple haggard breaths before she rushed back for Tessa. For the longest time, she hugged her hard, the two caught up in some sacred place.
Murmurings rumbled from their mouths.
“Thank you. Thank you for loving my son.”
“I’m the one who’s thankful.”
I was wrong. This wasn’t just brutal. It was devastating.
Finally, Mom peeled herself away. Her cheeks were red and soaked, and she smacked my chest with the back of her hand. “I am so mad at you for keeping this from me.”
There was no anger.
Just joy.
Sheer, fucking joy.
“I’m sorry. It’s brand new, and we needed to figure a few things out before we announced it,” I forced out.
Mom curled her arms around my waist and set her head on my chest since she was an entire foot and a half shorter than me. “I’m so happy for you, Milo. I knew the time would come. I knew you’d find love. Joy and peace. Everything you deserve.”
Agony twisted me in two.
Easing back, she turned her affection on Tessa. “And I’m so thankful he gets to share it with you.”
Tessa looked at me. Ocean eyes a calm, vast sea. “So am I.”
ELEVEN
TESSA
Nerves battered my ribs, and my palms were slick with sweat as Milo pulled to a stop at the curb in front of Karl’s house. Years of bad memories flooded my brain. Every one of them was a reminder of why I had to take a leap in this direction.
A leap I was taking for myself.
Fear had stopped me.
The worry that I had no other options.
But I had people who cared about me, and I knew they’d help me figure this out.
I glanced over at Milo who vibrated in the driver’s seat.
He was all burly monster then, aggression so clear in the way his hulking muscles twitched and flexed as he held on to the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping him from flying out the door and seeking retribution.
Beautiful Beast.
“Don’t like the idea of you going in there by yourself,” came as a low rumble from his mouth.
Was it wrong that I liked it so much?
“If he’s here, it’s only going to make things worse if you go storming in there with me. He’s going to take it as a threat, and we don’t need that trouble. I’m going to grab a few things and my car, lickety-split, then we’ll get the heck out of here. He won’t even know I was here.”