Page 164 of Songbird: Black Kite
And protecting her was my first priority.
“You and I have done nothing but hurt each other, and for a while there, I gave as good as I got. I own that shit. But this, Tori? Hiding my child? Threatening Wren and damning her and Cooper to a lifetime of solitude and ridicule because you were what? Threatened by them? And when couldn’t find any other way to get what you wanted, you resorted to having your father blackmail me into marrying you. That’s some Machiavellian shit right there.”
“What was I supposed to do? You wouldn’t sleep with me anymore! Even before we got married, I couldn’t get you to pay attention to me. I mean, come on, Hawk. We were married for nearly a decade, and in all that time, you refused to even share a room, never mind my bed and my body,” Tori screamed at me, and behind her, Wren gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
“You were happy enough sharing it with everyone else,” I replied caustically.
“I had no choice!” Tori screamed, her chest heaving as her tears now rolled down her splotchy cheeks. “Can’t you see? I had no choice.”
“You had plenty of choices,” Wren put in, causing Tori to shoot her a withering glare. “Plenty of choices that wouldn’t have hurt me, my daughter, or the man that I love.”
The words hit me like a shot to the heart.
Love.
She’d never said it before. Not out loud, anyway. She’d shown me how she felt, and I hoped she’d say it one day, but I was willing to give her the time and space she needed to be sure and comfortable.
Having Victoria force the situation on her wasn’t ideal, but that didn’t mean my heart wasn’t still practically pulsing out of my chest with joy.
That joy, however, was short lived, because Victoria just had to open her fuckin’ mouth once again.
“Oh, cut the crap. Like I give a shit about you or your stupid brat.”
“Tori!” I snapped, drawing her attention back to me. I could see the moment she registered the anger on my face, and I watched as she attempted to gather herself, shoving her hatred and panic down deep so that her smooth, controlled face was back in place. It was a move I’d seen her do a thousand times, and a prayed that this would be the last.
Tori took a breath, then swallowed, smoothing one hand over her hair as she tried to pull herself together. “Hawk, I’m sorry. I would have told you about the kid eventually. I just wanted—”
“Eventually?” I scoffed, jamming my fingers in my hair and pulling, trying everything I could to control my rage. “Eventually, Tori? Fifteen years, you kept my child from me! Fifteen years of lost time. Time that I will never get back! How could you ever think that was okay? That I would forgive you for something so absolutely heinous I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
“I did it foryou,” Tori whispered feebly, her voice trembling. “I was trying to protect you. Protect the band.”
“No, you weren’t. You were only ever protecting yourself.”
For a moment, no one spoke, Tori standing before me, her lower lip trembling as she seemed to realize she wasn’t going to win this fight.
“You need to leave, Tori. We’re done. We’vebeendone, but this time, I never want to see you again.”
“But—” Her eyebrows shot up, surprise crossing her face. “What about work? It will take time to find you a new label liaison.”
“I think you’ll find thatCastor Recordshas bigger things to be worrying about right now.” She looked like she wanted to ask more, but I cut her off. “Gohome, Tori. To your husband, a man who, for some reason, seems to love you. Maybe try not shitting all over him like you do everyone else in your life.”
Tori hesitated only a second longer before she brushed past me and stormed down the stairs, the door slamming behind her.
“You alright, Bird?” I asked, heading straight for her. I felt like I’d just run ten miles, my heart thumping heavy and hard behind my ribs. Wrapping Wren in my arms, I breathed her in, loving the salt and sunshine scent that seemed to coat her. I wanted her to stay just like that, spending her days bathed in sunshine and her nights in my bed.
My California Bird.
“Yes,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “I’m fine. She didn’tdoanything, really. She just had a lot to say.”
I snorted. That was really accurate for Victoria.
“Did you mean it?” I asked, Wren looking up at me in confusion. “When you said you loved me. Did you mean it?”
“Hawk,” she said, pulling back slightly so she could fully look at me. “Of course, I meant it.” Taking my face in her hands, Wren held me close, staring at me, her warm brown eyes full of emotion. “I love you, Hawk Jameson. I think I’ve loved you my whole life. And there is nothing—not slanderous headlines or meddling exes—that could ever change that.”
Rising up on her toes, Wren kissed me. It was a kiss full of love and hope and devotion.
It was the kind of kiss I’d been waiting my entire life to receive.
