Raging Heart On_ Friends to Lovers Romance(10)
“She’s the mother of my child. The same child you will be a stepmother to.”
“I love your daughter, you know that. Arie isn’t the problem.”
“The problem? I didn’t realize we had a problem, Kay,” he says, and when he shortens my name, I hate it. I never let anyone do it… except for White.
He steps back from me and leans against the wall. His arms are folded at his chest and I know before I even start that his mind is closed.
“We do. I don’t think you’re putting me first.”
“Arie comes first.”
There’s a small part of me that’s hurt by his words, which is crazy. If I had a child, I’d put her first too. But, for him to just say that without even adding me into the equation really stings me. Couldn’t he have said “you and Arie” will always come first?
“And where do I fall in line?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, so far, I see you making concessions for your parents, your friends, and your coworkers. Hell, even your ex-wife came to the dinner we had scheduled with your parents. I ask to have my wedding at my family home, and you immediately shut me down.”
“And you know why!”
“Why? Because you want Cynthia to be there? It’s my wedding, Tommy. Mine.”
“It’s mine too, Kay, or did you forget that?”
“What? Of course I didn’t. What do you mean…?”
“I mean, maybe you forgot that I’m the groom and not Lucas.”
“That’s a low blow, Tommy.”
“Let’s not fool ourselves, Kay. You’ve told me how you feel about White before. We both agreed to this wedding because we wanted certain things. It’s a marriage of friendship and convenience. You need to put White out of your life.”
“But there isn’t anything between us! We’re friends. You can’t act like it’s something we need to address, Tommy. You don’t get to do that. We talked about all of it before I even agreed to your proposal! This is about respect and—”
“And do you think you are respecting me by asking me to have this wedding at the home of the man my wife left me for?”
“You took her away from him first, and she isn’t your wife anymore! She wasn’t then!”
“I don’t want to talk about this with you!” he growls.
“Don’t you think we should talk about it? We’re getting married, Tommy!”
“Are we, Kayla?”
“What? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying if you keep insisting on having this wedding at the Lucas Ranch, then as far as I’m concerned, there will be no wedding.”
“Are you serious?”
“Completely. I will not agree to a wedding at the Lucas Ranch. If you insist on it, this wedding is done.”
“Just like that?”
“You’re the one pushing this, Kayla. Not me.”
“If it’s so easy for you to decide, then why were you telling White how you knew my worth last night? What was all that about?”
“I do know your worth, Kayla. We could have a good life together. A calm life. A life without surprises and one of mutual respect. But you’re not willing to let go of White and the Lucas family. They’re not yours, Kayla. They’ve never been yours. It’s time you either accepted that and move forward with me and the family we could build, or admit you will never be able to cut the ties.”
His words hurt. They cut something inside of me that has been raw since my stepfather left. He’s not entirely wrong. I can admit that. If I move forward, I do need to let go of them some—specifically White. One question hounds me though.
“Are you willing to do the same?”
“What do you mean?”
“If I give up White and the rest of the family, what are you giving up, Tommy?”
“This isn’t a game, Kayla, where you give up something so I do too. This is life.”
“What about Cynthia?”
“What about her?”
“I don’t want her in our lives.”
“She’s the mother of my child, Kayla.”
“Then where Arie is concerned, it’s fine to work with her. What’s not fine is her being at a dinner for our engagement, or the way she talks about me.”
“Cynthia is—”
“A bitch.”
“Kayla…”
“Can we agree that she stays out of the marriage, this agreement that you and I have?”
“I can’t guarantee that. As the mother of my child, I naturally will have to take her into account with anything to do with my life,” he says, and something clicks into place. He expects me to do all the giving in this relationship, all the allowances. While I’m in love with White and was up front with him about it, he’s always going to be in love with Cynthia, but he won’t admit it. Maybe even to himself. I can live and settle for a lot. Tommy and what he’s offering isn’t one of them.