Page 168 of Let You Love Me

I rub the sleep from my eyes and blink to find it coming from the vicinity of the couple, and when I finally focus on them, I see the source. A young woman close to my age is pulling each of them into a long hug, a tray of coffees clutched in her hand.

A minute later, she releases them. When she sits our eyes meet, and I gasp.

Even through the haze of sleep, I can see the striking resemblance. She doesn’t just look like Teagan. SheisTeagan, only a feminine version of him, same blue eyes and all. She has the same honey blonde waves as Teagan, and they share the same straight smile. Same cheekbones. Same nose shape even though hers is smaller with a slightly more feminine slope. Even their mannerisms are similar, letting me know exactly who I’m looking at: Brynn, Teagan’s twin.

She holds my gaze for what feels like an eternity before I finally glance away, self-conscious under the scrutiny. I have no idea if he’s told his parents about me, but I’m absolutely certain,based on the way she stared at me just now, she somehow knows who I am.

I slump down in my chair at the same time she starts toward me.

Oh, God.I cover my face with my hand as if I can shield myself from her line of vision.

My heart races as I stare straight ahead, praying she doesn’t come up to me and introduce herself.

She probably has no idea it’s my fault Teagan’s here, but she will soon enough, and I can’t bear the thought of what his family will think of me then.

My hands turn clammy. Sweat pricks my brow as I take shallow breaths.

She’s only a few feet from me when the nurse intercepts her. I can’t hear what she’s saying but whatever it is must be good news because Brynn’s face splits into a wide smile and she’s waving her parents over. Together, the three of them, with the nurse at the helm, head for the hallway and I know they’ll get a visit.

Jealousy stabs my chest before it occurs to me Brynn might mention to him that she saw me and what his reaction might be.

Bile rises to the back of my throat.

If I’m not gone when they come out, I’m not sure I have the strength to face them.

An hour later, I get a text from my mother asking when I’m coming back home. It’s the second one in three hours, and I know I can’t stay any longer.

If I were any other college student, staying would mean some missed classes and nothing more. But I’m not. I have Sophie to consider, and she’s been with my mother since early yesterday afternoon when I left for the game. Even if my mother didn’t have a job, it would be wholly unfair to ask her to keep Sophie any longer.

Motherhood doesn’t wait because life throws you a right hook.

Instead, you’re forced to roll with the punches and go through the motions, even when everything around you is falling to pieces.

Even with a broken heart.

Chapter 46

LANE

Iopen the frontdoor and stumble inside. Now that I’m home, I know I’ll have some answering to do. My parents are going to expect it when what I really need is space to lick my wounds. If I can’t have that, then a shower, hot meal, and some sleep before unraveling the events of the past twenty-four hours would be nice. But I know I’ll get none of those things seeing as how Sophie’s already up for the morning and I’m just getting home.

Removing my jacket, I quickly hang it in the coat closet as my stomach rumbles. Despite my bleeding heart, my empty stomach is catching up with me. If I’m to parent at all today, at the very least, I’m going to need some toast and the largest mug of coffee I can find.

I head toward the kitchen, wondering when I ate last, only to decide it must’ve been yesterday morning. I’d been in too much of a hurry to find my father before the game started to stop forlunch and too sick to my stomach to eat after what happened with Teagan.

I exhale as the hallway ends and opens into the kitchen, and my steps falter.

Dread settles in the pit of my stomach as I my gaze falls to my parents, sitting around the island with a pot of coffee in front of them, along with the remnants of breakfast. Either they waited up for me all night or woke with the intention of addressing everything my father overheard yesterday. A quick sweep of the living room across from me confirms my suspicions when I find Sophie oddly absent.

Shit.

I swallow the nausea rising in the back of my throat when I realize I won’t even have a reprieve over breakfast. Though I’m not sure why I expected anything different. They deserve answers, and I can’t blame them for wanting them now.

“Where’s Soph?” I ask, feeling slightly sheepish. I’m five years old again, in trouble and afraid to look them in the eye.

My arms hang limply at my sides. I’m a shell of the person I was on Friday night when I was in Teagan’s arms—beaming, happy, full of life. I hate everything that’s happened in-between then and now, but there’s no going back, so I put one foot in front of the other.

“She’s over at Gail’s house next door,” my mother says. “She’s helping her rake leaves.”

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