The Bad Boy's Biggest Mistake(22)
“But you’re not part of the scene anymore. What would it matter?”
“It wouldn’t, and I’m hoping Kate will realise that before she tries something fucking stupid.”
Vicki nodded. “You swear a lot when you’re angry.”
“I’ve got a lot to be angry about.” He slammed his hands on the steering wheel. “I put my life on hold. I’m forty-five years old, and when I met Kate I thought I’d be settled with a couple of kids.”
She saw when he chanced a glance at her. Quickly his gaze returned to the road. “When you told me you loved me, I wanted to give you everything. I was married to Kate, and I didn’t see any other choice than to push you away.”
Staying silent was the best thing for her to do. Tristan didn’t need words. He needed to get his thoughts off his chest.
“Finding out about the baby was the worst. I pushed you away to the point you couldn’t even be honest with me. I remember when we talked outside of The Dugout after I talked to Steve and Zoe. You asked if there was any chance I’d leave my wife. Do you remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Did you know about the baby then?” he asked.
“Yeah. Your answer was going to be the deciding factor on staying or leaving Law Castle. I wasn’t in touch with my dad then. Losing the baby meant I could stay home.”
“But my answer was going to send you away?” he asked.
She nodded. “Law Castle is my home. Leaving town is the last resort for me. I know the people would support me, and I’d have Zoe and her men for company. Stefan would probably move me into his home, but it wouldn’t have worked. You’d know and I would know the truth, and even if you didn’t know, seeing you every day and knowing you thought it was someone else’s baby, would be the worst. I planned to leave into my fifth month.”
Her fifth month had never come about. She’d been shot and lost the baby before her fifth month came around.
Tristan reached out for her hand. “There will be more babies.”
Vicki didn’t dispute his statement. She would have more babies. If she had them with him was the question.
He pulled up into a parking space. The supermarket was large, larger than anything inside Law Castle.
“Wow,” she said. She’d never been to such a large supermarket before. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You’re showing your small town roots. Come on. If the outside impresses you, wait until you see the front.”
Vicki got out of the car and was shocked when Tristan grabbed her hand, shocked and delighted as a bolt of electricity went up her arm from the simple contact.
He held her hand as they walked through the doors. Tristan only let her go to get a trolley for them to fill. She did a quick sum in her head on how much she could spend.
When she told Tristan how much he shook her off.
“This is on me. You’ll get what I tell you to get.”
His commanding attitude pissed her off. She wasn’t going to cause a scene in front of everyone inside the supermarket.
She followed him around as he filled the trolley with fresh vegetables. When she placed chocolate and unhealthy foods he batted her hand away and took control. Vicki watched as he allowed some chocolate but nothing she’d come to regret later.
“You’re going to control my food?” she asked. “Is that another aspect of your Dom control?”
He paused and stared up and down. “I’ve not been in charge of your life, and look at you. You must have dropped a minimum of two dress sizes, and your hair has seen better days. The Vicki I know wouldn’t have let herself drop so suddenly.”
His remarks cut her deeply.
Food held little appeal, and besides washing herself in the shower she’d not taken all that much care of herself.
“I didn’t see the need,” she said.
They were alone down the aisle. Tristan leaned in close. “From now on you better see the need.”
“I’m not going to look pretty for you,” she said.
Tristan shook his head. “You’re going to start looking pretty for yourself, and in turn you’ll be looking pretty for me.”
She didn’t argue with him even though she wanted to desperately. Instead she followed him around the supermarket. For as much as she wanted to hate his belligerent attitude a part of her liked it because he was showing he was sticking around. Kate wasn’t going to take Tristan away from her, and for that, Vicki was happy.
Chapter Eight
By the time Tristan pulled up outside Vicki’s house it was late afternoon. He’d spent a good few hours in the supermarket buying everything he felt she needed. Climbing out of the car, he opened the trunk and started lifting bags. Vicki went to help him, but he nudged her toward the front door. He would do all the lifting and carrying while she put everything away.