You know it was that damn Tim I married who treated you so bad. Wasn’t me. I wasn’t involved in any of that.
She’d had the nerve to send such a text—a blatant lie—as if he hadn’t been fully aware of exactly what happened, and who was responsible. They’d been in it together, one feeding off the other. But it wasn’t just that. He wasn’t himself, wasn’t in control, not since seeing Cora at the bar.
“This isn’t... I mean, you’re her boss,” Matt said. “This isn’t personal, right?”
Eli ignored him. He was wound up, on edge, afraid he’d bash him in the face if he so much as acknowledged his presence. His birth mother triggered too many painful memories, a surfeit of emotion. Eli felt like there was a monster growing inside him that was about to bust out at any moment.
Fortunately, since Aiyana had taken him in and he’d worked through most of his issues—the ones he could resolve—he hadn’t allowed his frustration to erupt, hadn’t let it get the better of him.
But it’d been a long time since he’d been this raw.
“I asked you a question,” Matt said.
Eli leveled a glare at him. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go inside.”
Eyes wide, Matt stumbled back as if he’d just caught a glimpse of the rage lurking inside Eli, but before he could do anything else, Cora grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the house. “Give us a few minutes. Will you? Please?”
Unwilling to make it that easy, Matt looked from her to Eli and back again. “Don’t tell me... You guys are seeing each other, aren’t you!” He glared at her as if she’d cheated on him. “There’s no way you’d start dating Aiyana’s son! Not without—”
“Matt, if you say another word I’ll never forgive you!” she broke in.
Without what? Eli had no clue and didn’t get the chance to ask before she shoved her ex toward the house with more force. “Matt, please. If you value our friendship at all, you’ll go inside this minute.”
He cursed but accepted the keys she tossed him and finally did as she asked.
Once he was gone, a profound silence fell.
Suddenly, Eli was no longer sure what he’d hoped to achieve. His eyes were beginning to burn as badly as his gut, and a lump the size of a baseball rose in his throat, making it impossible for him to speak normally.
What the heck was he doing? He’d been a fool to come here. He was only making matters worse.
Without another word, he turned on his heel and opened his truck door. He intended to get in and drive off before she could realize how close he was to breaking down, but she grabbed hold of him.
“What is it, Eli?” She looked concerned as she dragged him around to face her, but that only made it harder for him to maintain his composure. He jerked away, didn’t want her to see him like this. But she refused to let him go. She caught hold of him again, this time with a stronger grasp.
“Talk to me!”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here.” He managed to mutter that much without having his voice crack—thank God—but she didn’t act like she heard him. She stared into his face, trying to read what he was feeling. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. “What is it?” she asked, clinging tightly. “Tell me.”
He lifted his hands to her shoulders. He intended to push her away, couldn’t believe he’d allowed himself to need her. He should’ve gone home like he was about to do now. He couldn’t rely on her, on anyone, no matter how tempting it was to believe otherwise. But she wouldn’t let go—and the next thing he knew his arms slid around her, securing her against him instead of breaking off the embrace.
“It’s okay,” she said.
He knew she could probably feel how badly he was shaking, but there was nothing he could do about that now. “Where’ve you been?” he asked.
Her hands slipped up the back of his shirt, and he felt her press her palms against his bare skin—a move he found both satisfying and intimate. She wasn’t merely offering him a light “you’ll be okay” pat. She was making it clear that she cared about him and wouldn’t let him down. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now.”
Burying his face in her hair, he gripped her that much tighter, and they stood like that until he could overcome all the terrible feelings that had him so twisted up inside. “Come home with me,” he said at length, his mouth at her ear.
When she hesitated, he feared she’d refuse. She had Matt in the house, after all. He was asking a lot for her to leave her guest, but he needed to hear her say yes, needed to know that he came before Matt.