Page 8

I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I had to get up, for Eli and Miss Maggie, they were probably wondering where I was anyway.

“Mornin’, sweetheart.” A gruff voice said from the corner.

I squeaked, my hand flying to my chest. “Ty,” I breathed.

What was he doing in here?

My head and my heart were in a war. My head was telling me that I shouldn’t trust him, he had lied. Well maybe not lied, but he didn’t tell me and it wasn’t like it was a little thing to just not tell me. Having a wife was a big thing, such a huge part of his life that he should have told me about.

But my heart?

That was telling me to trust him, to hear him out. He wouldn’t hurt me; he’d done nothing but protect me since I’d walked onto this compound.

Right now, my brain was winning the war and I knew that he could see that.

“Just hear me out,” he said as he stood up, holding his hands up in the air as a sign of peace making.

Shaking my head, I pushed the covers aside, slid off the bed, and made a beeline for the door. Pulling on the handle, I flung it open and walked as fast as I could but compared to his giant leaps that he calls steps, I didn’t make it far in front before he was right at my back.

“I don’t want to hear anything, Ty.” Stomping down the stairs, I turned into the kitchen.

“Kay,” he growled. “Just listen.”

“What? Listen to how you turned me into a home wrecker?” I pushed the button to start the coffee pot and spun around, leaning against the counter. “Don’t you think that was something you should have told me before we…you know.” I waved my hand in the air to get my point across.

He smirked. That insufferable smirk that always made me smile. This time was different though, I wouldn’t allow him past my walls. Nope. He was staying firmly in front of them.

“When we slept together?” he stepped forward.

“Yeah.” Clearing my throat, I turned to

pull a cup out of the cupboard.

“Let me get that for you, sweetheart.” His breath fanned across my neck, causing a shiver to roll through my body. Why did he always have this effect on me?

I watched his hand wrap around the cup and bring it down to the counter. He didn’t step back, instead he pulled the coffee pot off its holder and poured me a cup.

“I should have known to wait until you’d had this,” he chuckled.

I released the breath that I had been holding when he stepped back, hanging my head. How did he do that?

He could disarm me without me even knowing. Damn it, I could never stay mad at him, it wasn’t fair.

“Fine,” I huffed, turning to face him. “I’m listening.”

Waving his hand to the small table and two chairs that sat in the kitchen, he said, “Let’s sit.”

Blowing out another breath, I stomped forward and slumped into the seat that he had pulled out for me. Ever the gentleman.

“First, I want to say that I never intentionally lied to you. I didn’t tell you because…well…shit.” He ran his hand through his hair then dropped it onto the table.

I could see that he was struggling to tell me. Scanning his face, I noticed the dark circles that had appeared under his eyes. He looked worn out and I hated seeing him like that.

“Ty…” I was in two minds. It was true, he hadn’t intentionally lied but he still hadn’t told me.

But then, I still had secrets. Things that none of them knew about. Could I really be mad at him for not telling me?

“No, let me get this out,” he said, looking anywhere but at me.