Page 44 of Red Zone

“I don’t c?—”

“Idocare,” Skye snapped. “I won’t block you from seeing Lily, but we will do this my way.”

I clenched my fists, my body vibrating with frustration.How could I agree to this? To wait when every instinct screamed that Lily deserves the truth?But then I looked at Skye, the tension in her body, the fear she was trying so hard to mask. She wasn’t just protecting herself—she was protecting Lily. And I couldn’t be the one to rip that safety net away.

I recognized the stubborn set to her shoulders and the defiant chin tilt. I wouldn’t risk pushing her. I didn’t want her to disappear again. It was a fear I couldn’t quite shake. I studied her, my anger fading into something else—something quieter, heavier. She was fighting for Lily the same way I wanted to. Maybe we weren’t as different as I thought.

“Fine,” I said, my voice low but firm. “We’ll do things your way. But I’m not going anywhere, Skye. I’m here to stay.”

Her shoulders eased just a little, and for the first time, I felt like maybe—just maybe—this wasn’t completely broken.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

SKYE

Lily’s low whimper hurt my heart as I cuddled her in my arms. I rocked her slowly, waiting for the Tylenol to kick in and ease the pain. She’d had ear infections before, but never that bad. I glanced up when the door to my bedroom eased open, and Aunt Eileen peeked her head in.

“How’s it going?” She kept her voice low so as not to disturb Lily, who needed to get some sleep. It was way past her bedtime.

“Could be better.” I grimaced as Lily’s sharp elbow jabbed me in the ribs.

That calculating gleam entered my aunt’s eyes, and I shuddered.

“What?” I instantly regretted asking.

“You should call Liam.”

“No.” My reaction was immediate and defensive. I was her mom. I’d never needed his help before.

Aunt Eileen slipped inside and shut the door quietly behind her. “You told me you’re trying to work things out, right?”

I reluctantly nodded, not liking where she was headed.

“He’s upset about missing out on Lily’s life. Well, this is a part of it. Let him share in her care.”

I narrowed my eyes, not liking her thinking. “I know what you’re doing.”

A sly smile curved her lips. “Having a child isn’t all roses, sweetheart. He needs to experience all of it, and what better way than to test out his long-term commitment?”

“Fine.” She had me there. I’d confided in her more than once that I feared Liam would infiltrate our lives and leave us with broken hearts and a very confused little girl when he entered the NFL. I waved my aunt away and quickly texted Liam about Lily, asking him to come by.

“I’ll keep Tommy busy when he gets home. I recorded the new episode for his favorite show. Plus, I made ribs.”

“Devious.”

He would be engrossed in the NFL sports documentaries my aunt was referencing. They were good. I’d bingedReceiversas soon as it’d come out.

I regretted the text almost as soon as I sent it. I didn’t need Liam’s help, not really. But when Lily whimpered in her sleep, clutching me tighter, something inside me cracked. Maybe Aunt Eileen was right. If Liam was serious about being in Lily’s life, he needed to see all of it—the sleepless nights, the worry, the love that consumed everything. I hated how much I wanted him to prove her right, how much I wanted to believe that he would stay.

When my phone chimed with Liam’s response that he would be over in fifteen minutes, I relayed it to my aunt, whose grin stretched impossibly wide. I stuck my tongue out, but she missed that lovely expression, as she had already exited my room.

In slow, even movements, I rocked Lily from side to side in my arms while sitting cross-legged on the bed. Lily’s breathing evened out as she fell into a light sleep. When my door opened,I didn’t need to look at the time to know no more than fifteen minutes had passed. Liam quietly entered my and Lily’s room.

Liam froze just inside the doorway, his eyes locking onto Lily curled against me. His shoulders, tense when he walked in, seemed to drop a little as he took her in. His concerned gaze crawled over Lily then me, and my cheeks heated in response.Why did he have to be so intense?My body should not react to him the way it did, especially after all our time apart after we broke up—if a two-month fling could even be considered a relationship.

I slowly exhaled and tried to control my pulse. That man took up way too much space in the room. “Hey.”

He closed the distance between us, sitting beside me on the bed. “How’s she doing?”

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