Page 36 of Could Be Worse
“Yes, sweet girl.” The twins were tugging on my heartstrings and making me uncomfortable. Cat had always been direct and vocal, and Tori had been a quiet observer and had felt other’s emotions deeply.
When Connie was still around, Tori cried a lot. Nothing my ex had done would soothe her. Only Nana Bea and I could calm my fussy baby girl. I had realized much too late that Tori had sensed her mother’s unhappiness and stress, and it affected her. Nana Bea had told me babies feel tension in a room and it wasn’t healthy to argue in front of the twins. Of course, my ex-wife hadn’t given a damn. After Connie left, the change in the girls was immediate. They were relaxed, at peace, and happy.
It had taken me much longer to be okay. No. I still wasn’t okay.
But since meeting Sadie, I have felt alive and hopeful for the future… until a few minutes ago.
“Here, Daddy.” Cat handed me Anastasia. It was a thick book and would probably take forty-five minutes to read. Less if the girls fell asleep. Longer if they asked a bazillion questions.
An hour later, I crept out of the twins’ bedroom, gently closed the door, and inhaled a tense breath. I had heard no activity from the front room, like Sadie leaving. But then she could’ve been as quiet as a mouse.
Relief washed over me upon seeing her on the sofa. “You stayed.”
“I said I would.” She shifted her position from relaxed to sitting straight and folded her hands on her lap.
“Yeah. Well…” I sat on the other end of the sofa. “I’m not used to people keeping their word.” Connie had made up stories and manipulated me since day one. Some customers had stiffed me after the job was finished and I hadn’t had the money to take them to court. Every-fucking-body lied and cheated in one way or another, and I hated it with every cell in my body.
Why did nice guys get shit on? With that thought, my body turned to steel and my guard went up…
“Bryce, I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Good to know.” I bobbed my head and scanned the room, not sure if I believed her. The decorative pillows the girls had tossed onto the floor had been put back in place and the throw blankets were neatly folded. Sadie had once again cleaned up when she didn’t have to. “Maybe what we need is to talk, like really talk.”
“Yes, I think we should. You start.” She turned toward me and crossed her leg over the other. It might sound weird, but I loved it when her attention was on me.
“We obviously have chemistry in the bedroom.” Even now, when I was irritated and feeling insecure, I wanted to whisk her into my room and make love to her. I needed to get a grip on my cock.
“Yes, we do.” Her cheeks turned pink. “But I’m sure being attracted to each other isn’t what we need to discuss.”
“No, it isn’t.” I almost reached for her hand, but stopped myself. “Tell me why you left Manhattan. Why did you get cut from the Nutcracker?”
“My dad has a big mouth.” She crossed her arms over her chest and blew out a frustrated breath.
“What happened? Did they want someone else to be the lead?” I kept my voice soft and nonthreatening. I was confident she was devastated over the loss. Who wouldn’t be? But I needed to know what had happened. Hopefully, I didn’t make her feel worse.
“No,” she snapped, clearly insulted. “I quit.”
“But your dad said—”
“He’s mistaken.”
“Then what happened?” I couldn’t imagine why she would quit the show. Zander had made it sound like a big deal when he talked about it, that Sadie had finally achieved her greatest goal.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Seriously? You just said you wouldn’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying to you. I’m choosing not to tell you what happened in Manhattan. If you ask a direct question, I’ll tell you the truth.”
“I don’t get it.” Now, I was getting frustrated. “If we’re together, we can’t keep secrets from each other. Been there, done that. Won’t do it again.”
“Bryce, we aren’t together, are we?”
I gaped at her.
“I mean… We only met ten days ago. I just started babysitting your girls. Don’t be hurt, but neither of us thought we’d ever see each other again.”
“You’re right.” I scooted closer to her. “I didn’t think I’d see you again, but here we are, and I’m not hating it.” Don’t be hurt? I must be an idiot because I am hurt.