the room on a mission. I leaned forward, holding my head in my hands and considered calling Four. I was way out of my depth. Unfortunately, even though I knew she would come, Four already had her hands full with Ever.
Biting the bullet, I shot to my feet and rushed down the stairs in time to see Tyra facing off with a startled Selena. Her eyes were rimmed red, making it clear that she’d been crying, too.
“How did you get that letter?” Tyra demanded.
“Excuse me?”
“The letter our mom wrote to our dad, how did you get it if they gave you up for adoption?”
Selena’s head jerked in genuine surprise. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, nostrils flaring. “I was never given up for adoption. My dad raised me alone after our mom died giving birth to you.”
You could hear a pin drop in the house next door.
The sudden hostility in Selena’s tone when she uttered that final truth had my eyes narrowing. It was a far cry from the bright-eyed girl with the too-easy smile we’d met just minutes ago. Tyra sank onto the couch, too distraught to notice the resentment in the other girl’s eyes. I watched Selena like a hawk as she sat next to pip-squeak, an apology ready at the lips. It was debatable whether it was genuine.
“I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me. This is not at all how I thought our first meeting would go.”
Tyra’s head shot up at that. “You mean you knew who I was when I answered the door?” Her suspicious tone had Selena rushing to answer, albeit nervously.
“I wasn’t sure, but yes. I had a hunch you were my baby sister. My mom wrote this letter right before you were born. She said she wanted to name you Tyra. Tyra Morgan Bradley.” Selena met my gaze, a look of uncertainty there, before continuing. “Even though it broke my father’s heart to learn you weren’t his daughter, he still honored her wishes.”
Biting back a curse, I was ready to make good on my offer and toss this bitch out on her ass when Tyra shot to her feet. “What are you talking about?”
“M-m-my parents,” Selena stammered, “were married for ten years. Your father was having an affair with our mom. It almost broke their marriage.”
“You’re lying,” Tyra growled.
“I wish I were, but it’s the truth!”
“Get out.”
“Please, Tyra, listen to me.” In a bold move, Selena reached out to pip-squeak, but I quickly stepped between them with a look that brooked no argument. She was lucky I hadn’t clotheslined her instead.
“I don’t care what lies brought you here,” Tyra said in a tone I’d never heard from her before, “but I don’t care. Our mom and my dad were soulmates, and nothing you say will ever change that. Now leave.”
Wordlessly, Selena picked up her purse, and I made sure she was gone for good before lifting a broken Tyra off her feet and carrying her upstairs. She spent the entire night crying in my arms, and when she finally tired herself out enough to sleep, I wondered where the hell her father was.
The next morning, I awoke soaked in sweat in a bed that wasn’t mine and my throwing arm completely numb. It took a few blinks to clear my vision and figure out where I was and why. My location explained the back pain. Tyra’s mattress always made me feel like I was sleeping on a bed of nails. Groaning, I palmed my face and contemplated slipping quietly from Tyra’s bed and going the hell home. Even Jamie would have been the better choice to deal with an emotionally distraught female.
I’d spent most of my formative years learning not to care about the people around me or at least pretending not to, and it almost worked. Until her.
I froze when Tyra suddenly shifted in her sleep, and I spent the next thirty seconds praying she didn’t wake up yet. I needed time to think of a way out of this. I hadn’t even gotten so much as a blow job from her after nine and a half months of wooing, and here I was dealing with this heavy shit like some sappy ass hero from a porny romance novel.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Carefully and quietly, I freed my arm from underneath Tyra. She immediately curled into her small frame as if warding off the demons that awaited her once she finally opened those whiskey eyes. Her long lashes fanned her cheek,