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Me: Heather?
There. Simple enough. Doesn’t seem jealous at all.
“I’m really happy for you, Tina.” My mom stepped forward, placing her hand on my arm. “I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to move on after Levi.” She nodded at the phone in my hand. “But I can see that isn’t the case.” Shebrushed past me with a quick kiss to my cheek and headed into the living room.
I worried my bottom lip between my teeth. She was just reading into things, wasn’t she? No, I wasn’t hung up on Levi, but I also wasn’t moving on with Kyle.
My phone chimed from my hand again.
Kyle: One of the PT assistants.
Kyle: She’s chatty. Kinda annoying.
She was probably young, with no kids running her ragged, and could go out on a date whenever she wanted and make out or even have sex without having to worry about said kids. Was that what I wanted?
My stomach knotted at the thought. I wasn’t sure where it had come from. To be honest, I hadn’t thought about sex in over two years. Not until Kyle. Shit. I did want that, didn’t I?
“Mom,” Callie called. “Can we go?”
“Yeah,” I called back. I fired off one last message to Kyle.
Me: That’s good. I mean your leg is getting stronger, not that Heather is chatty.
Kyle: Lol. Also finished season 10 today. WTF is the darkness? I was pissed when I had to go to therapy instead of starting season 11. Planning to do that tonight.
I bit back a grin. He was flying through this show. Did he sleep at all?
Kyle: Are we good for Saturday?
Me: Yeah. Still need to check with the sitter.
I hadn’t messaged Lilly yet. There was no time like the present, I supposed.
I opened my messages app and found our text thread. Before I could tap out a message, though, Teddy’s cries from the living room pulled my attention away.
We’d all had a long day, and I needed to get the kids home, fed, and in bed. I’d deal with the babysitter issues later.
Chapter Eighteen
KYLE
By midweek,I was already itching to see Tina and the kids. I craved my time with them like I’d never craved anything in my life.
When I was with them, I wasn’t focused on my leg, the pain, or the guilt. And none of them expected me to change. My family looked at me like they were waiting for a miraculous recovery—physically and mentally—or like they were waiting for me to completely lose my shit. I couldn’t just be. Maybe it would be different once I was in New York, doing what I was always meant to do. Finding passion and purpose in my lifeagain.
The reminder that I was leaving stabbed painfully at my chest as I hopped into my truck and typed out a quick text.
Me: Can I come by and take you guys for ice cream?
Tina: It’s game night.
Me: Oh?
Tina: Yeah. It’s a weekly thing the kids and I do. Well, Callie and I. Teddy won’t sit long enough to play.
Me: Sounds fun.
Tina: Want to join us?
