Page 72 of Manhattan Secret

From his sigh, I know he isn’t happy with my answer, but he leaves me alone for the next fifteen minutes. It isn’t until I look up from my clasped hands when he brings the car to a rolling stop that I first notice we aren’t at home.

My throat dries up.

He’s brought me to Laney’s neighborhood. To Laney’s house.

What the fucking fuck? I turn my head so fast I’m like the exorcist, finding him watching me pensively.

“Whatever has you upset and distant lately, Lachie, fix it.” His eyes stray to the house behind me and I feel my whole gut tighten.

So many questions.

“You know?”

I’ve been careful, I know that for a fact, we’ve been careful. Laney is overly sensitive about that shit, much to my annoyance. I don’t give a fuck who finds out about us, but she does.

“Suspected it was more than you were saying. I don’t want to know, I’m already keeping it from your mom, don’t make me lie to her. Fix whatever it is or end it so you can stop being reckless.”

Fuck.

I open the door, not a foot outside when he adds. “Secrets don’t stay secret for too long, son. Make sure it’s worth the consequences. The fallout will come.” And then, “decide one way or another so you can tell your mom before she roasts my ass, because I’ll take you down with me.”

I snort, amused.

“See you tomorrow, dad.” He half smiles and drives off.

I need to ask how he knows. Did I let something slip? Someone saw us? Maybe Ronan inGinger Girl? But then, nothing we’ve ever done gets past Noah Fierro.

Standing on Laney’s doorstep, I pensively look at the darkened windows.

Secrets and lies.

It’s our life right now.

Worth it, I muse.

She’s worth it.

Letting myself in with the key I had cut she doesn’t know about, I prowl through her quiet house, with only one destination.

Pausing in the bedroom doorway, I feel my heart cave in right down to my stomach. She’s the smallest bundle underneath the covers.

No matter her stillness, I can sense she isn’t fully asleep.

She doesn’t always sleep soundly without me there and I know this, and still I’m the prick who left her because I was mad.

Kicking off my boots, I skin out of my clothes in record time and pad naked across the bedroom, before climbing under the sheets.

I curl myself around her smaller frame. She stiffens but doesn’t push me away.

“I’m here now baby, you can sleep.”

She lets go of a puff of air and a whisper, turning quickly she burrows into my chest. My arms come around her tightly. “I have you, baby.”

That is just it.

I do have her. She has me.

Everything else is just noise and a hindrance.

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