Page 76 of Child of Mine

The smile that’s just for you,Izzy coos.

Ugh, you people.Quinn shudders.Gross.

After he unlocks the door and ushers me and Ribsy inside, Izzy thoughtfully reminds me that we do have some important things to discuss before we get too cozy, even as every sight, smell, and sound of this apartment reminds me of the last time I was here.

Work out the kinks between you, and then we can enjoy some kink,Quinn offers.What’s the big deal, anyway?

Because you work with him?Izzy reminds me.Because what happens if you have a fight and break up? Because you haven’t yet told him all of your truth?

Dude,Quinn cuts in.Makeup sex is the best sex.

I groan, and Henry shoots me a look. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Just… hungry all of a sudden.”

That’s one word for it,Quinn says.

“Just got to feed the dog, and then we can heat up dinner.”

I offer to help but regret it immediately. Henry’s kitchen is way too small for two people to work in it without running into each other. By the time we sit down at his tiny dining table, I’m so wound up I’ve lost my appetite.

Henry frowns after taking a bite. “Sorry, I guess the potato chips got kind of soggy.”

“It’s fine. It’s good,” I say, shoving a forkful into my mouth. “We do need to talk, though. It’s not fair to Lilah for you two to have to worry about running into people we know, like what happened this week, whether it’s my friends—”

“Or people from work.”

“Right.”

He takes my hand suddenly. When I flinch, he winces as if in pain.

Covering my face with my hands, I can’t help but groan.

“Really? Really, Bella? Can you honestly tell me you’re not feeling any of the things I’m feeling?”

Don’t lie to him,Izzy warns.

I kind of have to agree,Quinn says.Just tell him, for god’s sake. If he judges you, then fuck him.

Not how I would put it, but… yeah,Izzy says.

I’m too rattled to do this sitting down, but they’re right. I need to do it. “It’s not that, Henry. It’s… there are other things about me—about my past—that I still haven’t told you.”

* * *

HENRY

There’s pain in her eyes, and I hate it. I want to fix it. When she lurches away into the living room, I trail her like Ribsy on the hunt. Then something awful occurs to me, and I reach for her, needing to be in contact. “Are you… are you wanting to hurt yourself?”

“Not the way you’re thinking.” Twisting out of my grip, she puts a few steps between us before whirling to face me. “I’m an addict, Henry. I got hooked on pills and alcohol when I was a teenager working on the soap. I wasn’t self-medicating because of some trauma or anything—it was just a bad habit that got out of control.” She points at me, stabbing a finger in the air. “I went to rehab, got my shit together, and I’ve had it under control until you showed up.”

I take a step back and bump into the coffee table. “Are you saying that you’re doing drugs again?”

“No!” Her expression is as fierce as any mother bear’s. “I would never endanger Lilah like that.” Squeezing her eyes shut, she grits out, “But I want to. For the first time in over seven years, I want to.”

“And you blame me for this?”

“No. Yes. It’s everything. I thought I was fixed.” The laugh that explodes past her lips is caustic. “But I guess I was just fooling myself. Or it’s been in there, dormant, just waiting for me to let down my guard.”

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