back a little. “I hope this works. Because if it doesn’t, I’m going to lose him, and honestly, I’m not sure how much more I can take.”
“You’ve got this, bab. And if he’s not who you think he is, then he wasn’t worth your time. You are a good person with an incredibly kind soul. If he doesn’t see that, he’s an arsehole. You didn’t do what you did by choice but loving him was something you did choose.”
“It’s not just him though. It’s his family. If by any chance he does forgive me, they probably won’t, especially Jaxon. They stick together, and this situation will be no different. He will leave me for them.”
“But you are looking at this like you’re the bad person in the scenario. You aren’t. They’ve witnessed first-hand how ruthless Andrew can be. They should be able to understand where you were coming from and why you kept it from them.”
“I really hope so,” I reply, letting out a sigh. “Every time his mum or sister does something sweet, it tears me up inside. Whenever any of them do something. Because I feel like I’m a spy invading their home and they have no clue. And I know you’re right; I’m not the bad guy here. But I’m also not the good guy either. I went about this the wrong way and I got sucked in, wanting to help.”
“That’s my fault too. You wanted to tell them from the start, and I wouldn’t let you. You can’t take all the blame here. And if they want to say something, they can say it to my face because I’ll give them what for if they’re going to be pricks to you.”
Getting up, I pick her laptop up from the sofa before sitting down where it was and placing the laptop down on my lap.
“Did you put all the locations on here too?”
“For where we think other blackmail material will be?”
“Yeah.”
She nods. “I did.”
“I know Andrew can’t take their business away from them, not now they’ve agreed to take that donation for a new build, but this eases my mind. If they do push me out of their lives, at least I’ll go knowing they’ll have leverage.”
It’s hard to get the words out. The truth gets stuck in my throat like a golf ball because it’s going to hurt when it ends.
I thought I was prepared for this day to come because it was always going to happen, no matter the outcome between me and Wyatt. I just didn’t expect it to be this hard. I’m not going to just lose the man I’m deeply in love with, but a family who have taken me in, treated me as one of their own and made a place for themselves in my heart.
“Then let’s get to work so you can get back and tell your man everything,” she orders, before turning to me, her expression serious. “But remember, if everything goes to shit, I’ll be here for you. We can arrange a time for you to call me, and if you don’t, I’ll come looking for you.”
The pit of my stomach begins to turn, and I place a hand over my belly, feeling nothing but dread. “Deal.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
WYATT
I can’t wipe the grin off my face. Never before did I think I’d be this settled with a woman, with someone who got me, my family, and fell into a rhythm like she had always been there. Because that’s how it feels. She is a part of the family now and I never want that to change. I can’t imagine finding anyone else I feel so at home with, someone I picture spending my life with and raising a family with.
Evie is it for me.
She is my Lily.
Now I just have to get her to stay here with us and not go to Rebecca’s. I understand why she wants to go. I respect her independence and won’t take that away from her. It doesn’t mean I have to like it though. Wanting her to be taken care of isn’t wrong. She has spent most of her life taking care of herself and her mum. She deserves to be pampered, to be shown life isn’t that complicated.
“You have a big grin on your face,” Reid comments, swaggering into the room. “Get laid?”
Any other time, I would have told him to ‘fuck off’, but nothing can dampen my mood.
“I’m thinking someone realised he’s in love with the girl,” Jaxon muses from where