you’ll keep Allie then?” Becca raised her brows, the question in her eyes.
“Go do what you have to.” He shooed her with a wave of his hand. “She’s more than welcome to stay here and you well know it.”
More to the point, Allie would provide a much-needed distraction. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be spending his day off with his best friend. Sadly, until she’d showed up on his doorstep last night, he hadn’t planned on it, but now that she’d come, he’d hoped to spend time with her today. More than he ought to. Too much time had passed since they were even in the same room together, and he missed her. He missed the simple things, like sitting on her back porch, watching the trees lining the edge of her yard sway in the breeze as they sat and talked, discussing their days, their dreams, and their frustrations. Inane everyday things he took for granted once.
“Thanks, Ky. I owe you one.” Becca rose from the sofa and bent over Allie, holding her arms out. “Give me a hug, baby. I’m leaving.”
“’Bye, Mommy.” Allie wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck, apparently squeezing too tight, for Becca made a gagging sound and laughed.
Kyle turned his attention to Ceci. With Becca distracted by Allie, he and Ceci had some privacy. She’d moved to the front window and now stood with her back to him, quiet and still. He’d stood in the same spot a number of times, staring at the grassy area below, watching the neighbor kids play or people walk their dogs. The visual equivalent of “white noise,” it gave him something to look at while his mind tried to solve the day’s problems.
Despite knowing he ought to leave well enough alone, he couldn’t let her leave like this. He had to smooth things over. At the very least, he had to try. He couldn’t recall a time when she’d looked at him quite the way she had a few minutes ago, like she couldn’t stand being in the same room with him. He didn’t like the sick sensation that gave him.
As he approached her, he shoved his hands into his pockets and forced himself to stop a good foot behind her. He didn’t want to push. “Can we talk?”
She startled, her back stiffening. “Will you help me find my parents?”
He expelled a breath and let his shoulders slump. So they were back to this. “I can’t.”
“Then I’m sorry, but I have to go.” She inched around him, as if trying to avoid touching him, and made a beeline for the door. In her haste to get away, she left the door wide-open.
He could only shake his head at the situation. He might not regret kissing her, but it was a liberty he shouldn’t have taken. It had knocked their already shaky relationship off its foundation. God help him if she ever found out he’d lied to her about her parents’ whereabouts.
“It’s okay. I’ll give her a ride home.” Becca appeared at his side. The quiet, knowing tone of her voice said she’d figured out something was up.
“Thanks.”
“You guys okay? I don’t remember ever seeing her that upset with you.”
Kyle let out a heavy sigh. He didn’t know the answer. Moreover, he didn’t know if his decision to keep the secret from Ceci was the right one. Oh, he remembered why he did it. He reminded himself every day. He wanted to protect her sanity, her heart. The pain she felt now at the loss of her past in no way compared to what she’d feel when she discovered the truth about her parents. He prayed she never actually remembered it.
He also kept the truth from her because he’d made a dying old lady a promise. That day, Ceci’s grandmother had gripped his hand hard and begged him. At the time, he was certain he was doing the right thing. The research he’d done only solidified his decision. Now? Now he didn’t know anymore. Three years had passed, and Ceci’s reaction weighed heavily on him, blurring the lines. Did he really have the right to decide she wasn’t strong enough to deal with the information he’d uncovered? He
“Go do what you have to.” He shooed her with a wave of his hand. “She’s more than welcome to stay here and you well know it.”
More to the point, Allie would provide a much-needed distraction. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be spending his day off with his best friend. Sadly, until she’d showed up on his doorstep last night, he hadn’t planned on it, but now that she’d come, he’d hoped to spend time with her today. More than he ought to. Too much time had passed since they were even in the same room together, and he missed her. He missed the simple things, like sitting on her back porch, watching the trees lining the edge of her yard sway in the breeze as they sat and talked, discussing their days, their dreams, and their frustrations. Inane everyday things he took for granted once.
“Thanks, Ky. I owe you one.” Becca rose from the sofa and bent over Allie, holding her arms out. “Give me a hug, baby. I’m leaving.”
“’Bye, Mommy.” Allie wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck, apparently squeezing too tight, for Becca made a gagging sound and laughed.
Kyle turned his attention to Ceci. With Becca distracted by Allie, he and Ceci had some privacy. She’d moved to the front window and now stood with her back to him, quiet and still. He’d stood in the same spot a number of times, staring at the grassy area below, watching the neighbor kids play or people walk their dogs. The visual equivalent of “white noise,” it gave him something to look at while his mind tried to solve the day’s problems.
Despite knowing he ought to leave well enough alone, he couldn’t let her leave like this. He had to smooth things over. At the very least, he had to try. He couldn’t recall a time when she’d looked at him quite the way she had a few minutes ago, like she couldn’t stand being in the same room with him. He didn’t like the sick sensation that gave him.
As he approached her, he shoved his hands into his pockets and forced himself to stop a good foot behind her. He didn’t want to push. “Can we talk?”
She startled, her back stiffening. “Will you help me find my parents?”
He expelled a breath and let his shoulders slump. So they were back to this. “I can’t.”
“Then I’m sorry, but I have to go.” She inched around him, as if trying to avoid touching him, and made a beeline for the door. In her haste to get away, she left the door wide-open.
He could only shake his head at the situation. He might not regret kissing her, but it was a liberty he shouldn’t have taken. It had knocked their already shaky relationship off its foundation. God help him if she ever found out he’d lied to her about her parents’ whereabouts.
“It’s okay. I’ll give her a ride home.” Becca appeared at his side. The quiet, knowing tone of her voice said she’d figured out something was up.
“Thanks.”
“You guys okay? I don’t remember ever seeing her that upset with you.”
Kyle let out a heavy sigh. He didn’t know the answer. Moreover, he didn’t know if his decision to keep the secret from Ceci was the right one. Oh, he remembered why he did it. He reminded himself every day. He wanted to protect her sanity, her heart. The pain she felt now at the loss of her past in no way compared to what she’d feel when she discovered the truth about her parents. He prayed she never actually remembered it.
He also kept the truth from her because he’d made a dying old lady a promise. That day, Ceci’s grandmother had gripped his hand hard and begged him. At the time, he was certain he was doing the right thing. The research he’d done only solidified his decision. Now? Now he didn’t know anymore. Three years had passed, and Ceci’s reaction weighed heavily on him, blurring the lines. Did he really have the right to decide she wasn’t strong enough to deal with the information he’d uncovered? He
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