Page 121 of False Start

Yeah, I liked the sound of that.

Madelyn

Kyle’s face didn’t look promising when he came through the front door a week after our engagement, a heavy sigh leaving his chest and that massive hand of his running through his hair. It was a bit longer than when I’d met him, and he looked worn from the week of training camp. The first pre-season game was this weekend, and he’d been pushing hard to get ready for it.

From what he’d explained, these pre-season games would be his chance to seal his spot — and, hopefully, be named as a starter on the team. I hadn’t seen him play yet, but if he was anything like he had been in high school, I had no reason to worry about him making it.

Then again, when he was in high school, he was just a kid. He didn’t have a care in the world other than football.

Now, he was newly engaged to a train wreck of a woman with a crazy ex-husband and a six-year-old kid.

Boxes littered every corner of my home as we prepared to move into the new house Kyle had purchased for us.

And for reasons I wasn’t sure I even understood, hewantedthis life. He chose it. He choseme.

I was trying really hard not to be so surprised by it all. I wanted to be confident, the way I used to be. I wanted to hold my head high and shrug like, “Of course, he wants me. I’m amazing.”

But the truth was I hadn’t felt that way in a long time — not until Kyle looked at me the way he did, and touched me the way he did, andlovedme the way he did.

Slowly, he was bringing back a bit of who I used to be while simultaneously helping me slip into who I would be in the future. He was showing me what it was to feel safe and cared for, how just those two truths alone allowed me to be more of a human and less of a mess.

He was showing my son how a calm, warm, loving household felt.

He was showinghimselfthat he was nothing like his father, that he had more to offer the world than what he ever imagined.

Still, my stomach was in knots as he stepped inside the house, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me when he slid his hands into the pockets of his joggers and lifted his eyes to mine.

Those bright blue pools were shielded by furrowed brows and a tight-lipped smile that told me we were in trouble.

“Well?” I asked, hoping he was playing a joke on me even when I knew he wouldn’t — not in this situation.

Kyle swallowed, shaking his head just marginally.

I deflated.

“We’re fucked,” I said, falling onto the couch and burying my face in my hands. I actually thought I might throw up.

A warm hand slid down my back as a heavy body sank down next to me, and Kyle kissed my temple, exhaling a long, sad breath against my shoulder.

“I tried to reason with him. I promised we would happily drive Sebastian to him when it was his days, that we would never try to switch up holidays or weekends — no matter what mygame schedule looked like. I assured him the school Sebastian is transferring to is far better than the one he’s attending now, and that everything monetarily would be taken care of.”

“But he didn’t care.”

Kyle sighed. “I think he feels like he’s lost control of the situation.”

“Of me,” I corrected, letting my hands slap against my thighs as I looked up at Kyle. “He can’t stand the thought of me being happy without him.”

“Well, that’s just too damn bad for him.” Kyle’s jaw was hard then, his eyes sliding from sympathy to rage. “He wants to take us to court? Fine. Let him. He’s going to regret it.”

“He has a lot of connections in this city.”

“Well, I have the ability tomakeconnections in this city,” Kyle said firmly. Then, he took my face in his hands, leveling his gaze with mine. “Listen. He’s lazy as fuck. He’s going to take his sweet time getting things in order.”

“I don’t know, he might be motivated now…”

“Even still, it’ll take a while before we’re in front of a judge. And when we are, rest assured, we will be represented by the best attorney I can find. And we will not just argue our case for split custody to remain.” He licked his lip like he wasn’t sure he should say what he wanted to next. “I think we should take him down.”

I frowned. “Take him down?”