Page 39 of Protecting the Boundary
I would never ask him to stop loving her, but I wish he could see that it’s okay to let someone else in.
Kay’s in her room which is the only reason I step forward and cup his cheek. “I understand, Romel. I get it.” The words come out slightly stilted with emotion, but I need him to know I understand. I may not like it, but there’s not much I can do about that.
His eyes dart between mine, a slight pinch between his brows. Pushing up on my tiptoes, I kiss his cheek—just one last time before I don’t let myself touch him anymore—and then head out the front door. I’m not going back to the guesthousetoday. I need space from him, from the feelings he stirs up in me that will never be returned.
So, I go to the only person I can when I’m confused and heartbroken—my dad.
He looks up from the car he’s still tinkering with, and as soon as he sees my face, he sets his tools down and holds his arms out. I burrow into his hug. “I think I’m falling for him, Dad.”
He doesn’t say anything, but his arms tighten around me. I pull back just enough to look up at his face, his beard more full of gray than I remember. “Do you think someone can love two people at once?”
“I don’t know. I think it’s possible, but the person has to be open to it.”
I rest my head back on his chest, my heart sinking. “Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say.”
And I know Romel will never let himself be open to loving anyone but Sydney.
TWENTY-FIVE
Nothing feels right.
Watching Meredith walk out of the house has my gut clenching painfully. Telling her it was a mistake was supposed to ease the guilt, but it’s only made the feeling worse.
I stare at Sydney’s picture—her smiling face as she stares off into the distance, her eyes holding that spark that used to always make me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I thought what I felt when I kissed Meredith was guilt for being unfaithful when I promised Sydney that she would be the only one.
Now I’m second-guessing myself because telling Meredith it was a mistake has left a gaping hole in my gut and not eased any of the negative feelings swirling inside me.
I pull out my phone and text Ty.
Me
Can Kay and I come over to visit?
I don’t want to be at the house today, especially if Meredith isn’t here.
He responds almost immediately.
Ty
Hell yeah. Come on over. Lex just put Lana down for a nap.
“Kay! Wanna go see Uncle Ty and Auntie Lexi?”
“Yeah,” she squeals and then I hear the slapping of her shoes against the hardwood floor as she comes racing down the hallway.
At least things with my daughter are normal, even if nothing else feels that way anymore.
Ty opens the door with his typical charismatic smile. Of all of us guys, he’s the most authentically nice guy I know. We used to tease him that it was because he was Canadian, so he couldn’t help himself, but I think it’s just him. Since meeting Lexi, he’s become even happier. They had a bit of a rocky start, and then a rough go when his brother meddled in a way that left us all shocked. His brother apologized and has done his best to make amends, but it’s clear he’s still fighting some inner demons and self-doubts that arose after that whole scandal. He plays pro for another football team in the league, but there have been rumors swirling that he might retire soon, especially after all the stuff that went down.
“Hey, man, long time no see,” Ty teases since we flew home together this morning.
God, was it really just this morning when I woke up next to Meredith after kissing her last night? It feels like it happened so long ago.
Lexi comes around the corner, a smile on her face as wide as Ty’s. He immediately wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her against his body, kissing the top of her head. It’s good to seehim in love. It’s even better to see that love returned because anyone who looks at these two can’t deny how real and genuine their feelings are for each other.
“Hey, Romel. Hey, Kay, wanna come hang out with me and we can let the boys talk?”
I don’t know if she’s psychic or can just read me like a book because it only took one glance at me for her to know I needed to talk to Ty alone.
