“Afterwards he walked me back to my room. I guess he was just lonely. He asked to use my bathroom and of course I let him. He must have left it there either accidentally or maybe as an attempt to tempt me.”
“And were you tempted?” I ask. My stomach is clenching, I’m so nervous about his answer.
“I didn’t even know it was there until you showed it to me. Do I ever get tempted? Of course. Those feelings won’t just go away, Giselle. But all I think about are you and Parker, and I know that absolutely nothing is worth losing my family.” He tentatively edges closer and takes me by the hands, kissing each one in turn. “I know it looks bad, but it’s the truth. If I had messed up, I’d deserve your wrath, but that isn’t the case at all,” he says, staring straight ahead as he speaks.
“Why would your so-called friend do this to you?” I ask.
He sighs. “He was in even deeper than Keiran and me. I guess he wanted me back in that lifestyle with him. He must have been lonely and wanted a running partner. I don’t know, I can only guess.”
“Tane, look at me,” I say.
He does. I search his familiar eyes and see no deceit. “You promise you’re telling the truth?”
He holds my stare. “I promise.”
“Okay,” I say. “I believe you. I should have listened to you that night. I handled everything horribly, and I’m sorry.”
He slowly nods. “When you said I needed to want to stay clean for me, not you and Parker, you were right. I deserve to be happy with the two of you. And I won’t do anything to ruin that. I love you, Giselle, I always have.”
I smile at that. “I know. You’ve always been mine.”
He laughs. “Yes, I have.”
“You can talk to me, you know, about anything. I want to be there for you, and I’m sorry that I haven’t been.”
He nods and smiles at me. “Okay. Now stop being stubborn and give me a kiss.”
I do just that.
“We lost Levi,” he says, “but you need to get up and out of this bed. Our son needs you. Justin needs you.”
“I know,” I tell him, tears filling my eyes. “It’s just not fair.”
“No, it’s not,” he agrees, voice breaking slightly.
He gives me his hand for me to stand up. I take it, squeezing his larger hand in mine.
I believe his words. I just hope that I’m right to trust my instincts on this one.
Trust.
Honesty.
Commitment.
I value these things, and I know Tane does too.
I trust him. And I will until he gives me a reason not to.
*****