Page 151 of Let You Love Me

Fear bubbles inside me, warring with my anger as we stand there, locked in each other’s eyes. Both of us battering rams with our horns locked.

“I told you in the beginning. Youknewthis topic was off-limits.” I cross my arms over my chest as if I can protect my heart from the blow I know is coming. “And you agreed. It’s unfair of you to push me now when you understood from the start.”

“I know. You’re right. But feelings change.” His shoulders slump, whether in defeat or resignation, I’m not sure. “And I guess I just don’t understand why you’re protecting him.”

“I’mnotprotecting him,” I snap.

I’m protecting someone else—my father.

And I owe my parentseverything.

“Well, you’re protecting someone, and if it’s not him then it’s yourself, which means you don’t trust me. I’ve done nothing but lay my heart on the line since I met you, proven myself to you over and over, but you still don’t trust me.”

He takes another step back in retreat, his blue eyes wet with emotion.

As selfish as it is, all I want is for him to wrap his arms around me and tell me that it’s okay. That he doesn’t need to know. That I can keep thisone thingand he’ll still love me.

“It’s not that simple,” I say, desperate for him to stay.

He lets out a shaky breath and averts his gaze. “See that’s the thing,” he replies. “It really is.” And then he walks away.

Chapter 39

LANE

Ipress one lastkiss to Sophie’s head, then quietly make my way to the door where a sliver of light from the hallway spills inside the entryway to her room. Turning, I take a moment to watch her curled up in bed, eyes closed, lashes fanning against her chubby cheeks.

The slow rise and fall of her chest and the steady sound of her breath tells me she’s already asleep, which is no surprise. With me working for the team, our nights are later than they used to be. By the time I get her home and fed and in bed, it’s past her bedtime. Add in weekends at the lake prepping the house, and our weekly routine with Teagan at Slice, she’s exhausted most nights.

I bite my lip at the thought of Teagan.

She asked for him today, wanted to know if she’d get to see him after practice, but I had to tell her no.

After our argument this afternoon, I knew he wouldn’t want to see me.

Maybe he’s done with us entirely.

I swallow over the pain this thought causes.

I thought about our argument for the rest of the day. When Teagan and I first met, I couldn’t tell him the truth about Chance. It was too soon. I didn’t trust him yet, and I needed to get my bearings.

At the time, the identity of Sophie’s father felt like an insignificant detail. Chance wasn’t a part of our lives or our future, so he didn’t matter.

But now, it feels so much bigger than that.

My head has caught up with my heart.

Would I stick around if I knew Teagan was keeping something from me? If he told me there was a piece of him he could never share with me, but asked me to trust him, anyway?

I know I wouldn’t.

Yet I somehow, I expect—hope—that he will.

But what if he decides I’m not worth the hassle or the energy it takes to love me? As crazy as it sounds, when I see my future, I see him in it. Iwanthim in it. My stomach clenches at the thought of losing him to this.

How can we withstand all the coming storms with this divide between us?

I want Teagan in my present, but I want him in my future even more. Which means I need to tell him the truth.