Page 42

“I’m glad something good came out of something so terrible.”

“Honey, nothing was supposed to come out of that. You know Tessa was told her entire life that she wouldn’t be able to carry a child. Not after her cancer when she was born.”

I feel the color drain from my face. What the fuck? Then it hits me, the comments that Bianca was making about it not being possible.

“Oh dear.” She touches my shoulder, making me jump, “You didn’t know? I thought you knew. Lord have mercy, I thought you knew.”

I pull my shoulder from her grip, allowing my feet to carry me to my truck because there’s only one place I need to be and that’s with Tessa.

Tessa

I look in on Sam one more time. He’s engrossed in his show on the tablet Croy bought him. His headphones are securely covering his ears as his feet move from side to side. Other than the still present swell of his lower lip, you’d never know that he was punched today. My stomach clenches at the thought of my baby being picked on, especially about something that he has no control over. I pull the door closed, making sure I don’t disturb him.

As soon as I make my way to the living room, I hear a soft pounding on my door. I quickly step towards the sound, not wanting the knocking to escalate. Peering into the peephole, I see Hawk standing there. His forehead is creased, and he’s gnawing on the side of his thumb. I watch as he drops his hand from his mouth and takes a step towards the door, lifting his fist to knock again.

I pull the door open before he has a chance to make any more noise. “Hey.” I lean against the door. He doesn’t say anything as he pushes his way into my apartment. “Hawk?” I close the door behind me, leaning my back against the wood.

“Sam in his room?” he asks as he looks down the hall.

“Yeah, why?”

He turns and faces me. “Everything at school okay?”

I shake my head. “No. He got into a scuffle with a kid. He was being teased. Sam threw the first punch.”

He drops his head before he looks up at me, regret present in his eyes. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. I didn’t know anything about it. Sam never told me. The teacher never lets me know, and I’m sure if you hadn’t intervened it would still be continuing.”

“So he’s all right then?”

I bring my shoulders up. “Other than a fat lip. He’s okay.” He slightly flinches. I take a step towards him, crossing my arms over my stomach. “He told me that you did the same thing when you were younger.”

He gives me a smirk. “Yeah, Sin, that fucker. He loved to pick on me since he was older. I had to do something to take the spotlight off me.”

“Is Rose okay?” I ask, changing the subject. “You looked a little troubled at the door.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He rubs his hand through his hair. “Martha said that her dementia should resolve itself once her brain heals from the alcohol. It was a trip. How she thinks her life is. My sisters, who I’ve never met. I think she even thinks their father was the same as mine, but I’m not sure.”

I take another step forward and hesitate before I reach out and place my hand on his arm. “So you’re okay then?”

“No.” He takes my hand in his, and my heart slams into my chest. “I’m nowhere near okay, Tessa.” He brings his hand to cup my jaw, making my eyes close at his touch. I lean in feeling more and more comfortable with him putting his hands on me. “Why didn’t I ever know?”

I freeze and blink my eyes open, not sure what he’s asking.

“Martha told me.” The blues of his eyes dance along my face waiting for me to understand what he’s saying.

“Wha–” The question dies on my lips because I know what he’s talking about.

“Sweet, Tessa.” He peppers my cheek with soft kisses before he carries his lips over my nose and finishes the gentleness on my other cheek. He buries his face in my neck as I wrap my arms around his shoulders. After a slight dip, he hoists my legs up, placing them around his waist.

“Hawk.” I try to push myself from his grip, but it's not used.

“Not going to happen, Tessa.” His voice is muffled beneath the strands of my hair.

My eyes widen as I feel him turn, heading straight to my room. “Hawk,” I say his name in warning, my heart rate increases but he keeps his pace as he enters my room and shuts the door with the heel of his boot. When I feel his body start to lean forward towards the bed, I tighten my legs around his waist at the same time as I wrap my arms around his neck.

“I’ve got you, baby,” he says as he lays me down. The roughness of his hands glides along my waist before he pulls himself up enough to look at me. “So many things I wish I would have done differently,” he says as his eyes roam my face. “I thought I was protecting you, keeping you at a distance. Only allowing myself one night when I all I wanted was your everything.” He’s so close his breath dances along my skin as he speaks his truths to me.