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“I don’t hate him,” Mallory snaps, stopping her pacing and digging her hands into the back of the sofa cushions. “I hate myself.”
“I don’t understand.”
Zoey looks at me, eyes glistening. My woman has never worn such a complicated expression, betrayal and gratitude warring, lips pursed like she can’t decide if she wants to kiss or yell at me.
“And thank you,” she murmurs a moment later. “I had no idea.”
“I wanted you to get the best education possible. To be able to follow your dreams.”
This was before I knew how badly I needed her. Now that we’ve built a foundation of desire, affection, belonging, lust, and… yes,love, I’m even more confident I’ll always support her. I’ll never let anybody hurt or insult her. I’m going to contact Peter about Axel. That prick needs to get gone.
“Why do you hate yourself?” Zoey asks.
“So let me get this straight,” Mallory says, ignoring her daughter and staring at me instead. “You’ve been dating. You’ve been developing a—God, this sounds strange—arelationshiptogether, but you haven’t told her what happened? Why?”
“I already said. I promised you I wouldn’t.”
Mallory’s expression softens as she returns her gaze to her daughter. “So all this time, as you two have been… doing what you’re doing, you thought Jaxson and I were once an item.”
“Yes,” Zoey whispers, her emotional tone shattering my heart.
It’s because I know how she feels—the jealousy, the sense of possession, of ownership, the pain lancing into us at the thought of the other person being with anybody else.
Mallory walks around the couch and drops onto it with a sigh. She picks at the fabric of the arm, giving me and Zoey a moment to exchange a glance. I want to sit with my woman, wrap my arm around her and hug her close so she knows she never has to worry about us being apart, but that would be a cruel message since shedoeshave to worry.
“This isn’t a fling,” Mallory says after a long pause.
“Not even a little bit,” Zoey replies, her fierce tone making me smile.
“I know this is strange, but I meant it when I promised Luke I’d take care of his family. I never planned on feeling this way. I didn’t plan any of this, but that’s exactly what I intend to do… support Zoey. Be there for her, always. Never leave her side. Provide her with the life she deserves.”
“Luke always said you were the best person he’d ever had the good fortune of knowing,” Mallory says. “He said that, whatever you did, it was always with the best intentions.”
“I try,” I say cautiously, not allowing my hopes to flare.
“Even when you had every reason to tell Zoey what happened between us, you didn’t,” she goes on. “That means a lot to me. You really are a man of your word.”
“Whatdidhappen?” Zoey asks. “I can’t not know. I understand it will be awkward for both of you, but you said youhateyourself, Mom. Why?”
“Nothing romantic has ever happened between Jaxson and me.”
I let out a long breath. Immediately, a weight lifts from my being. All the tension at being unable to tell the truth drains away.
“Thank God,” Zoey whispers. “Oh, that’s good to hear. Then why did you send him away? Why did he stop coming by?”
Mallory buries her face in her hands for a moment, groaning. She looks more determined when she drops her hands, ready to face the revelation.
“I got drunk one night—way, way too drunk. Every time I think about it, I cringe. I hate that past version of myself. Our dryer broke, and, as usual, Jaxson was more than happy to help, but I was feeling emotional, confused, and I…”
She groans again.
“It’s okay, Mom.” Zoey stands and walks over to Mallory, sitting beside her and taking her hand. “Whatever it is, it’s in the past.”
“I tried to kiss him,” Mallory says, shaking her head as if she wishes she could push it away. “It was just a stupid, drunken mistake. The second I woke up, I couldn’t even figure out why I’d done it. I’ve never been attracted to Jaxson… no offense.”
I laugh gruffly. “None taken. I’d worry if youwere.”
“I was just confused,” Mallory goes on. “Drunk and stupid. I regretted it right away. Jaxson was a gentleman, of course, putting me to bed. He never tried to make me feel bad about it, but I couldn’t stand to be around him after that.”
