Page 77 of The Art of Deception

“I know, buddy.”

He nods as I wince at Greta, who pats me on the shoulder. “Better to deal with whatever it is now than let it fester, I say.”

Stiffening my shoulders, I prepare myself. “Wish me luck.”

She chuckles. “Good luck.”

Inhaling sharply, I head toward our bedroom, where I can hear her moving about. I have no idea what she’s doing, so I slowly creak the door open. “Tomi?”

She doesn’t answer, so I open it fully to see her packing a bag.

The sight knocks me almost off my feet as I rush inside the bedroom, closing the door behind me while I watch her packing my clothes into a duffle bag. “Tomi, what the fuck are you doing?”

She slams a tank top into the bag, then turns to me with no tears in her eyes but a steely determination. “Alex…” she calls me by the name I thought she’d never,ever, utter.

Shit, this is bad.

“I know I’m pregnant with your child, and I’m not going to stop you from seeing the baby, I’m not that kind of person, but this,us… it’s not going to work.”

My face scrunches as I step closer to her. “This is bullshit, and you know it, Tomi. Don’t let my dad scare you away. You’re stronger than that.”

Her eyes narrow on me like she wants to rip me a new asshole. “Scare me away? No,Alex,he didn’t scare me. That man showed me a simple truth.”

My stomach lurches as I see the intensity on her face. “What truth is that?”

She gulps, faltering a little. “That we’re not meant to be.” She turns to keep packing.

I step forward, grabbing her arm to stop her.

She swings around. “Family means everything, Xander.”

She called me Xander. There’s still hope.

“He can’t accept mine. I won’t let you lose yours.” She stiffens.

“Well, what do you think walking away from the woman I love is? Walking away from my child is, Tomi? Youaremy family.” I place my hand on her stomach. She doesn’t flinch, but I see her soften slightly as I stare into her eyes. “You two, and Levi…” I pause for a second, thinking about the right words. “If I lost you three… that would be losingmy family. Tomi, can’t you see that?”

Her eyes ease with understanding as her hand moves to mine on her stomach. She exhales like it’s sinking in. “I don’t want you to stop talking to your parents because of me. I don’t want to be the reason you quit your job, and you have a rift that’s so large between you and your father that you’ll never step over it.”

I move in, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her to me. She finally gives in, her hands snaking up around my neck as we hold onto each other.

“The rift was there long before you came into my life. He’s theone making this an issue. Mom loves you. If he’s the only one with the problem, then he is the problem… not you.”

She grimaces. “It doesn’t change the fact that thereisa problem, though. I can’t have him anywhere near Levi if he’s going to talk about him that way. I mean, Xander…” she blinks a few times, “… that was horrible.”

My chest squeezes as I recall the way my father spoke about Levi. He doesn’t deserve that, Levi’s far from an idiot. He’s one of the brightest young people I know. He just has a hard time dealing with his emotions, and that most definitely does not make him stupid. I hate that my father is so prejudiced. He’s a stubborn old bastard, and he finds it hard to change his mind once it’s made.

“I know, and I’m so sorry he spoke to you like that, Tomi. I can’t…” I pause, trying to find the right words. “I can’t defend why he is the way he is. All I know is that he’s trying to keep me in his life the only way he knows how.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, keepyouin his life, Xander.”

I shake my head. “By forcing me out of yours? No,notgoing to happen. If he’s the one making me choose between you and him, then he’s the one who’s going to suffer. Because it’syou, Tomi, it’salwaysgoing to beyou.”

Her eyes begin to mist up as she leans her forehead against mine. “I don’t want to be the reason you stop seeing him, though, Xander. Ican’t be the reason.”

I lean in, planting a quick kiss on her lips. “You’re not, baby… he is.”

She weakly smiles and leans up, placing her lips against mine again. I’m at home every time her lips meet mine. This is how we’re meant to be—not at each other’s throats or sitting in deafening silences, but locked together kissing each other. Sure, life with Tomi’s never going to be all sweet and flowery every second of every day, she’s far too feisty for that, but I live formoments like this when we’re alone, locked in each other’s arms and kissing like we mean it.

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