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“I don’t know what to do. I want to be with you. Cody and Katrina love you. I love you.”
When she didn’t say anything else Zack said, “That’s the first time you’ve said you love me.”
“I fell in love with you almost from the first. But I was afraid to tell you.”
“Why? What are you afraid of?”
“I’m afraid to depend on you. I’m afraid to depend on anyone.”
“I can see that. Do you think I’m going to abandon you? I won’t. I love you and Cody and Katrina. I love the babies. I want what we could have, Laurel. When you were robbed, when I realized you and the kids could have been shot, I almost lost it. I can’t imagine my world without you in it. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose what we have.”
“I don’t want to either. But I’m still not sure living together is what’s best for us.”
“Then we won’t. But you’ve got to get out of here.”
“You’re right. But I’m not living with my brothers. They’ve both offered but I won’t do that to them. I’ve never wanted to borrow from them, either. I’ve done my best not to have to do it. That’s one reason I took another job, but it wasn’t enough. But I really don’t see any other way to afford a different apartment.”
“There’s another solution.”
“What? If you think I’ll take money from you—”
He set his jaw and waited a minute before he could answer without yelling. “Damn it, Laurel, me supporting you and my kids isn’t ‘taking money from me.’ They’re my children. My responsibility. But that isn’t the point. You and the kids can move into the house on Spring Street.”
“But—”
“Without me.”
*
“What?” Laurel staredat Zack wondering if she’d heard him right. “You want us to—”
“Yes. I want you and the kids to move into the house. I’ll stay in my apartment.”
“We can’t do that.” Move into his house without him? What a shitty thing to do to him.
“Why can’t you? You’re not ready to move in with me but you need a safer place to live. It’s the perfect solution.”
“That’s—that’s—it’s ridiculous. It’s a stupid solution.”
“Why?”
He was serious. Sincere. And what he was suggesting was totally wrong. “For one thing, it’s your house. Not mine.”
“I bought it for you and the kids. You’re going to need more space before long anyway. You’re having twins, you know.”
“Yes, I’m aware.” She shook her head, smiling despite the serious topic. “But Zack, you bought that house for us all to live in together.”
“Yes, I did. But plans can change.”
“It wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
“Screw that. If it doesn’t bother me or you, it’s no one else’s business.”
“But it does bother me. I feel like a shit.”
He took her hand, held it in both of his. “You’re not a shit. I don’t know why you feel that you can’t live with me, but the fact is, you do. So, don’t. But I still want you to move to the house on Spring Street. You and the kids. I think you’ll be really happy there.”
“Oh, Zack.” What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she simply do what she wanted to do? She told herself she had to be certain, particularly for her children’s sake. But she was sure. Sure that Zack loved her, sure that he loved Cody and Katrina, sure that he would love the new babies too.
