“Have you looked into his family?” I asked.
“Of course,” he responded. “He had none. Parents dead. Never married. No children. Hell, I can’t even access any of the missions he was a part of. This all makes me believe he had more than just top-level security clearance. So please, promise me you’ll think with your head and be extra cautious.”
“I will. Promise.” I gave him a quick reassuring look before jumping off the couch and bolting from the room.
“Tyler, baby,” my mother called out. “Where are you going?”
Beaming, I glanced over my shoulder. “I have to go see about a girl.”
I ran toward the staircase, dashing up to the second floor and down the long hallway to pack up my stuff as quickly as possible. As I approached my room, the door opposite mine opened, startling me. I halted in my tracks, my jaw dropping as I stared at the woman standing in the doorway.
Mackenzie
I CHECKED MY REFLECTION in the mirror, my formerly loose-fitting yellow sundress now rather snug. I took a closer look, my eyes vibrant for a change. I felt refreshed and rejuvenated after finally getting some much-needed sleep. Escaping South Padre for a little bit was exactly what I needed to help me cope with what had become my new normal.
Pulling open the guest room door to head downstairs, a rush of a familiar scent found its way to my nose, stirring up memories of that happy, yet heartbreaking time in my life. I raised my head, inhaling quickly when I was met with a pair of striking green eyes.
I whimpered, almost in disbelief. Over the past several months, I had seen him everywhere. I had heard his voice in my dreams, saw his face on every man, smelled his musky scent no matter where I was. I was convinced this was just a dream, too.
“Mackenzie…,” Tyler said, surprised, his tone guttural and raspy.
“Is this real?” I felt numb, like I was daydreaming… But this was one daydream I didn’t want to wake up from. Closing my eyes, a warmth approached and a finger brushed away the lone tear trickling down my face. A current flowed through me, sparking a sensation that had been absent for the past several months. It was intense, burning, piercing. I fought to contain the thrill I felt from this man’s simple touch.
“What are…? How…?” he stammered, and I returned my eyes to his. He glanced at my stomach and I cringed, imagining his bewilderment. “Is it…?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be here.” I spun around and dashed toward the bed, frantically throwing my things into my bag. “I get it. It’s my fault. I was stupid and–”
“Mackenzie, stop!” his voice thundered, startling me and bringing back so many memories of our short-lived romance.
I filled my lungs, hoping for the strength to get through this when all I wanted to do was crawl in a corner and pretend I didn’t exist. I knew this day was inevitable, but I didn’t expect to be in this situation so soon. I had made no plan on how to get through it, making me all the more apprehensive about the conversation I knew I could no longer avoid.
“Look at me, Mackenzie,” he crooned, his voice tender. I shook my head, refusing to look into his eyes. I needed to remain strong and I knew I would break if I gazed into those eyes that once held so much hope for my own future. “Please. I… I’m such a fuck up.”
“You never came for me,” I said softly, keeping my back turned to him when I felt him approach behind me. He was so close, there was a buzz in the air from his proximity. “I thought you cared enough that you would.”
“You told me not to.” He ran his hand down my arm, calming me.
I faced him and saw tears forming behind his eyes. “Since when have you actually listened to what I wanted? No phone call! No email! Nothing! I thought I imagined you. I thought I was so desperate to feel something for someone that I made you up in my head. I drove through the streets of South Padre every day, Tyler! Every. Fucking. Day! And do you know what I saw?”
“What?”
“You! Whenever I saw a dog, I’d think of you and Griffin. Every boat. Every bar. Every restaurant.”
His shoulders dropped and he swallowed hard, his normal confidence lacking. “Mackenzie, I’m…” His voice cracked as he reached out for me.
“Sorry. I know.” Avoiding his touch, I fell onto the bed, fighting back the lump in my throat. I refused to cry in front of him anymore. He didn’t deserve my tears.
“I questioned everything in my life, Tyler,” I confessed. “If it weren’t for Jenna and Brayden, I would have thought I imagined you. Even with them, there have been days I was convinced I did make you up. I was certain if you really did care, you would have come for me. Then a week passed. Then a month. Then another month. And then…” I glanced down at my stomach, my hand resting on it protectively, as if hoping I could keep my baby safe from a world of hurt and pain. “Then I knew you were real, which made your absence hurt even more. I called, Tyler! I called your cell and it was disconnected. I called the security company and they gave me the run-around every time. I missed you so much, I vowed to swallow my pride and admit I made a mistake when I pushed you away, but now…” I shook my head. “It hurts too much to be near you. I can’t–”
“You told me the only way to prove it was real was to let you go,” he interrupted.
I stared into his eyes, scared to see that the love he had for me no longer covered them.
“But I can’t, Mackenzie,” he said, his voice wavering. “You’re my heart. The air I breathe. My everything. I don’t care what it takes to prove it was real. That it is real. Still. I will beg every day for the rest of my life to make you mine. You can tell me no every day for weeks, months, years. I don’t care how long you want to hurt me, to tell me you never want to see me again. I deserve it.”
“Four months, Tyler!” I exclaimed. “You’ve been gone for almost four months. Four months where I had to question everything. Four months where, every night, I lay awake, wondering how I was going to explain to the baby growing inside of me where his father is, why he wasn’t good enough for his father to love him.” I let out a slow breath. “But I got up every day, and every day I didn’t hear from you, another brick was built around my heart. Every day, I missed you a little bit less. I thought of you a little bit less. I cried for you a little bit less. I let go of another piece of you. Your eyes. Your lips. Your smile. Your touch. I had to let go of all those things.”
“Please, Mackenzie. You have to realize how sorry I am, how much I love you–”
“How can I believe you?” I asked, shooting off the bed and heading to the window. “After everything you did to me, I will always think this is all just another lie, another way for you to get what you need, then toss me out like last week’s garbage.” I looked back at him and saw how full of regret he was. The pain of my words were etched on every inch of him. Part of me wanted to jump in his arms and forget how much he hurt me, but I couldn’t do that. Not anymore.
“The thing is, I can deal with that pain again, but it’s not just me I have to worry about now. I can’t let you back into my life just for you to leave again. I can’t let you hurt my baby–”
“Truth or dare,” he interrupted, his voice impassioned as he stalked to me.
“What?” I asked, my eyes widening.
“You heard me, Mackenzie,” he countered, narrowing his gaze at me. “Truth. Or. Dare.”