Page 82 of Boards & Betrayal

"Fuck, Ally," I breathed out before pulling her into a kiss.

The kiss was desperate and raw, filled with all the emotions we'd been holding back. My hands cupped her face as I deepened the kiss, feeling her respond with equal intensity. It was as if all the walls we'd built around ourselves crumbled in that moment.

She melted against me, her arms wrapping around my neck. The heat between us flared, our breaths mingling as we lost ourselves in each other. The taste of her was intoxicating, a blend of sweetness and sorrow that made my heart ache.

I felt her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as if afraid I'd disappear if she let go. My own hands roamed down her back, pressing her against me until there was no space left between us.

The kiss grew more urgent, our need for each other overriding everything else. Years of unresolved tension and longing exploded in that heated moment.

"The fuck is this?"

Nick's voice cut through the air like ice water, jolting me out of the moment. I pulled away from Ally but kept my grip firm around her. Her eyes widened in shock, mirroring my own.

Nick laughed slowly, a bitter sound that echoed in the room. "This is rich," he said. "And here I thought you might actually care?—"

"What I do is none of your business," I snapped. "Especially when it comes to her."

"I wasn't talking to you," Nick shot back. "I know you don't give a shit about me. You never did."

"Nick, that's a lie," Ally said, stepping forward.

"You need to shut the fuck up," he hissed.

"The fuck you say to her?" I took a step toward him, my anger flaring.

"I warned you," Nick said, ignoring me completely. "This is what happens when you choose not to fucking listen." I grabbed Nick by the collar, yanking him closer. "You know she's been lying to you, right?" Nick sneered. "You know she's been keeping a secret."

"Nick," Ally pleaded. "I was going to tell him?—"

"I saw her," Nick continued, his voice dripping with malice. "A couple of weeks in November, coming out of a clinic. Why, Dad? Why do you think she'd do that?"

My jaw tightened as I struggled to keep my composure.

"She got an abortion," Nick spat out. "Even she didn't want your baby."

"That's not true!" Ally's voice broke as she grabbed my arm, her eyes welling up with tears.

I tightened my grip on Nick, my anger barely contained.

"It's not?" Nick demanded. "You weren't coming out of a clinic?"

"I—"

"Exactly," Nick said, his eyes narrowing in triumph.

"Ally…" I turned to look at her, needing answers.

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she spoke. "I would never… I didn't get an abortion."

"Then why the hell were you at a clinic?" Nick pressed on.

Ally's eyes flashed with so much pain that it felt like a physical blow to my chest. She swallowed hard before speaking again. "I was pregnant," she said softly. "But… I lost the baby."

Chapter 25

Ally

Tom looked at me, hurt, pain, and anger flashing in his eyes. It broke my heart, but I didn't look away. I couldn’t afford to.

---