Page 81 of Peer & Coco

"She wants Tyr," he muttered.

"Would it be so bad if she—?"

"I'm not giving him up."

"No...that's not what I'm saying. It could start out slow, and you two can see how things go." Coco leaned against him. "Talking. That's a good first step."

"It hurts so fucking much." He stood and grabbed another cigarette. "I've never been so scared of losing something in my entire life. He's my son."

She wrapped her arms around her upturned knees. He paced, needing to purge his body of the energy inside of him. Maybe he should ride over and talk with Kelli now.

"Peer?"

He stopped and looked at Coco. She hadn't moved from her spot on the step.

"Does it hurt because you still have feelings for Kelli?"

"No." His gut tightened, and he exhaled loudly, studying her closely. "She's the mother of my child, but even when we were together, it was up and down. We weren't good for each other. Even knowing she was pregnant; we both understood and agreed that a future together was never in the cards."

Coco leaned her chin on her knees. He stubbed out his cigarette. The whole situation wasn't fair to Coco. She'd been there from day one with Tyr and him, she deserved a better life than worrying if the child she loved was going away and the man she loved had feelings for someone else.

She'd put everything on hold to run away with him and put him first in her life.

He was pulled in two different directions, while she sat there not judging him and ignoring her own vulnerabilities.

"I should go back in the house in case Tyr wakes up." She stood and stepped toward him.

She raised to her toes and kissed him softly. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

He watched her walk inside. She was too good for him.

He'd made a lot of bad decisions in his life and never had to ask her to support him because she freely offered herself. Every time Slag business came between them, she silently stood in the background waiting for him. As hard as he tried to not put the responsibility of raising Tyr on her shoulders, he found himself relying on her as an equal partner in his son's life.

Behind all the shit going on in his life, he knew one thing for certain. He loved Coco.