AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I reach for him, but he shrugs me off and walks out the door.
Too shocked to move, I stare at the empty doorway.
Then I hear the front door shut.
His car door slams.
And he’s gone.
I blink at the door.
Tara did a fucking number on him.
But that’s no excuse. None at all. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him walk away from me like this. Fuck that. I look down at thealwaystattoo on my arm—the one he gave me just a few days ago—and shake my head with resolve. I’m going to hold him to his goddamn word.
Luke
I walked out of her house.
I had to.
I had to let her go.
She deserves to have that future. A man who can give her more children. I could see the want, the hope in her eyes.
I can’t take that from another person. If we tried for years and she grew to resent me, eventually left me, it would destroy me. It’s better this way. Maybe we can make our way back. Still be friends. I can still be there for the boys.
My heart shatters.The boys.
I pour myself two fingers of bourbon and down half.
I lift the glass to my mouth again right as my door slams open. Zoey looks at me with fire in her eyes. A kind I’ve never seen before. Anger mixed with pain and intense passion.
“What the fuck, Luke? Did you seriously just try to break up with me?”
I stand up straight, trying to exude confidence I don’t feel inside. “I can’t give you what you want.”
“How would you know? You haven’t asked me what I want.”
“Zoey—”
“Ask me. Ask me what I want.”
I want to argue with her, pull myself away, stave off the pain, but I’ve never been able to resist her or deny her. The ferocity in her eyes makes it just as impossible now.
“What do you want?”
“You,” she breathes. While the intensity of her gaze remains, her body softens. “Youare what I want. A life with you. I have two beautiful boys. I don’t need more children, though I’d love to have some with you, however that happens. Mostly because you’re too amazing of a father to not have a house full of kids. The way you were with Alex when he was upset?” She shakes her head. Then I see fire flash in her eyes again, and she yanks up her sleeve. It’s only then that I realize she isn’t wearing a jacket. She’s got on a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and fuzzy boots. She must’ve stormed out of the house after me. Pain rushes to my chest when I finally realize what I’ve done. I let Tara get in my head. I let her rip open my fears and insecurities. Then, rather than talk to Zoey, I let them fester.
Zoey points to the tattoo of my handwriting. “You made me a promise. You don’t get to take it back.”
I cross the room to her and grab her arm, running my lips over the word before muttering it to her.“Always.I’m sorry.” My fingers thread her hair and my lips meet her forehead, relief flooding my body that she didn’t allow me to make the dumbest mistake I ever could have made.
She breathes out a sigh. “Good.” Leading me over to my favorite chair, she pushes me down, then climbs on my lap. “Now, talk to me. Where did all of this come from?”
“Tara came to see me last week.”
“What? When?”
