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I let him stand out in the rain an extra few seconds before I finally open the door.
“Hey,” he says as he stands frozen in the doorway.
“Hey.”
He runs his fingers through his dripping hair and says, “Can I come in?”
“Sure. I’ll go get you a towel,” I say just to give myself a few minutes to try and push down my disappointment, my heart breaking in half because I know what he’s going to say.
He’s still standing in front of the closed door when I return and offer him the towel, like he’s not planning on staying.
“Thanks,” he says as he dries his face. As he moves on to dry his hair, he finally says, “Lyla’s home.”
“I know.”
“She’s made up with Fulton too.”
“I know.”
There’s a long silence that is torture as he takes his time wiping the rainwater from his arms. “Just say it, Isaac.”
Sighing, he scrubs the towel over his face again and says, “I can’t lose her again. Not yet. It’s a miracle she forgave me this time…”
“And you think she won’t forgive you again?”
When he finally looks at me, his jaw clenched tight, he says, “I can’t take that chance.”
He can’t take a chance on me.
“We could wait a few weeks,” I offer, the most I can offer because I’m going to start showing soon. My pants are already barely able to be buttoned, which is why I’m pretty much living in leggings.
When he lowers his eyes to the towel clenched in his hands, I have my answer. And still, I can’t let go. Not yet. “Please, Isaac…” I whisper.
The tears I tried to push down come roaring back, sliding down my cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” he says softly, as if those two words can make up for all the damage he’s done to my heart and soul.
Being angry is better than being hopeless and sad. That’s why I tell him, “I’m sorry too. I’m sorry that such a big, tough biker is acting like a spineless coward, too scared to tell his daughter who he’s fucking! Or is it just pride? Because you don’t want anyone to find out you slept with a girl who is younger than one of your daughters?”
Isaac just exhales and says, “You’re right. I am a coward. But I can’t do anything else to hurt Lyla after all she’s been through.” Swallowing audibly, he says, “She’s my daughter. I have to put my family first before…before whatever this is between us. I wish I could have you both in my life…”
“Get out,” I tell him as I snatch the towel from his hands. “Get out, and don’t ever come back.”
“Holly,” he starts, but I shake my head. I don’t want to hear any more excuses. Any more bullshit. He promised me. He said we could tell her. It was nothing but lies.
And without another word, he turns and leaves.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
Isaac
For months now, I’ve been holed up in my office working, drinking, avoiding everyone and everything.
I hate the cold and the rain. I fucking hate the winter.
It’s easy to blame my foul-ass mood on the weather instead of myself.
The fact that Lyla is happy and back with Fulton, even moving in with the bastard, is the only saving grace for throwing away everything I had with Holly.
