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“I won’t.”
“But you did.”
“I know.”
“So I came back and you said you wouldn’t do it again. You left me before. What’s to say you won’t do it again?”
Wesley’s eyes searched my face. “I’ll prove it.”
“How?”
“You don’t think my word is good?”
My broken heart crumbled even more. I shut my eyes. “Not anymore.”
Wesley sighed. “Don’t tell me you’d rather do this alone?”
“No, but I know I can. And I’ve learned so much about what I’m capable of since meeting you. I can run a business. I can be a mother. I’ve grown so much. How do I know you won’t try and control me? Control my business and my life?”
“Is that how you see me? A controlling monster?”
“I didn’t saymonster.”
“Why would you think I’d want control over you?”
“Because you’re Wesley Taves. You want control over everything.”
He frowned, the joy dissipating from his face as he was faced with this new truth that I now believed. He couldn’t fight it. He’d earned the reputation by trying to control things because of his ex-wife.
“If you love me, like you said, you’ll love me for the woman I’m becoming. Not just the woman I am.”
“I do…I promise, I do.”
“Don’t promise. Prove it.”
Wesley gave a small nod and couldn’t help smiling. “You’re a good negotiator.”
“I had a good teacher.”
Wesley dropped his hands from my arms and stood up straight and proud. “Alright. If that’s what I have to do, that’s what I’ll do. I know you don’t believe me. That’s alright. I haven’t earned it. But I will.”
His steadfastness was stirring, but his word no longer meant anything. He had to work for it. I was ready to make him prove it.
“I want you with me at mediation for Lucy’s custody. I’m not going to hide you anymore.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Think about it. Please.” His eyes dropped to my middle for a split second, but I noticed. He was already imagining our future together. Our baby growing inside me, the next year of trying to make a family out of all this mess we’d created.
I nodded slowly. “I’ll think about it.”
“Okay. Good. Please let me know when you get home. I want to make sure you’re safe.”
“I will.”
Wesley gave me a lingering kiss on the cheek before we parted. If I could have wrapped my arms around him and begged him to take me home, I would have. But I couldn’t. Not yet.
He had to work for that privilege.
