My cheeks heated and I wanted to disappear. I couldn’t believe I told him that. He was still laughing like a loon.
My jaw clenched. “I shouldn’t have said anything.” I shook my head. “I need to take the ring to Tyler.” I stood, reaching for the ring.
Tanner grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back down. “Sorry,” he said, rubbing his chest. He placed both his hands on my cheeks, then planted a kiss on my lips. When he pulled back, he gazed deep into my eyes, his thumb grazing along my cheek. “I’m sorry,” he repeated with his words this time. I could see in his eyes he truly meant it. “Love is hard,” he added. “Not like the movies. Not like books.”
“I know,” I said, shrugging. “But part of me still wants to believe in a happily ever after.”
A thoughtful look passed over his face, then he nodded. “Me, too.” He leaned in and planted his lips on mine again, slipping his tongue between the slit in my lips. I parted wider, letting him overtake me. We fell back onto the bed as his fingers threaded through my hair.
Suddenly, two quick knocks came at the door and I quickly pulled back from him.
“Sorry to break this moment up,” Tyler’s voice echoed in the room. “But, um, the ring?”
“Yeah, of course.” I sat up, straightening my shirt. Standing, I walked over to her and dropped it in her palm.
“Holy fucking shit,” she said, eyeing it. “I mean, this thing is epic.” Tyler slipped it on her finger, admiring it. “I mean, Brock got me a good one, but this thing is insane.”
I rolled my eyes. Yeah. I always hated the damn thing. Always felt like I was wearing a fucking Corvette on my hand every time I went out. Just one other way that Angelo could tell people that he owned me.
“Sorry.” She quickly pulled it off. “I didn’t mean to…” she trailed off.
I waved my hand. “It’s fine. I’m just glad to be rid of it.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Tanner, who looked massively uncomfortable all of a sudden. He stood and lifted his hands, signing something. His hands motioned flat back and forth in front of his stomach then I made out the word Archie. Then he left the room. I assumed to go take Archie for a walk.
“Is he okay?” I asked Tyler. “He got super weird all of a sudden.”
“Yeah, it’s just…” she hesitated as if she didn’t want to say the rest.
“What?”
“I don’t like to talk ill of Alex. She was great. It’s just, she came from the Upper East Side. Old money. Liked the finer things in life. Tanner has never been about wealth. He takes massive pride in what he does and makes a decent living, but other than this house, he’s a pretty simple guy. He built it solely for her, hoping to make her happy.”
“She didn’t like it?” I asked, absolutely flabbergasted. It was a stunning home. Yeah, it wasn’t as grand as the home that Angelo and I had, but that is actually what made me love it that much more. It was charming, rustic, and homey.
“It’s really not my place to say, Gia.” She looked down at her boots, and I knew there was much more of a story there than she was telling me. Considering the way that Tanner had reacted after I’d asked him about the house, it started to make sense why it may have been a touchy subject for him. “Anyhow,” she clutched her palm around the ring. “I better get to packing.”
“Yeah, of course.” I nodded as she walked out of the room.
An hour later and Tanner still wasn’t back from his walk with Archie, so I took a shower and spent a little time reading in bed, then meandered out into the living room. I could hear the patter of Tyler’s feet above my head, so I decided to head upstairs to see if she needed any help packing and loading up her car.
As I got to the top of the landing, her door was slightly ajar, and I could hear her talking to someone. Probably her husband.
“He still hasn’t touched her room. It’s just too sad for words. It’s like a shrine…” She sniffled.
What? Tanner told me that he’d donated most of his wife’s items. Apparently not. Add to it, Tyler had said she never got to see this place finished. Did they live here while it was being built? Was that their bedroom?
A long pause, then Tyler continued, “No shit. I told him the same thing. I don’t know what to do, babe. My heart breaks for her and what she’s been through…but…” another pause. “Maybe I should say something, but it’s not my place. I’ve already pissed Tanner off enough this visit.”
I sucked in a breath. Here, I’d thought that Tyler and I had gotten over our initial differences, but, apparently, she still had her reservations about me. I thought we had her blessing considering what she said to me earlier that morning. But no. I’d been snowed. She was just too exhausted to fight with her brother anymore.
I couldn’t just stand there and listen to the rest. Unfortunately, right as I turned to leave, the floorboard creaked loudly and Tyler quickly spun around, peering through the crack in the door and caught me. “Hey, babe, I gotta go. I love you. Give Emma kisses for me. See you soon.” She dropped the phone to the bed as I pushed the door a little with my foot. “What’s up?” She ran her fingers nervously through her golden-brown waves.
“I, uh…just came to see if you needed help packing, but heard you on the phone and didn’t want to interrupt, so I was heading back down.” I pointed to the stairs behind me.
“I just have the one bag.” She pointed to the suitcase on the bed.
I nodded uncomfortably. “Okay then, I’ll leave you to it.” I turned to leave.
“Oh, wait, I almost forgot.” She grabbed a paper sack from the dresser. “Your pregnancy survival kit, as promised.” She offered it to me.
“Thanks,” I said, glancing in the sack.
“Prenatal vitamins, chocolate, nausea meds, a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated, some bath bombs and salts.” She gave me a wide grin.
“That’s really kind of you.” Moisture filled my eyes. I was so confused. Did she like me, or not?
“Lucky you though, you seem to have no morning sickness. I was sicker than a dog.” She winked, turned, then grabbed her suitcase off the bed and hauled it toward the door, flipping off the light on her way out, and she and I both walked downstairs.
“He’s still not back?” She glanced at her watch. “Damn him. I’ve got to get the rental back and get to the airport. I should have figured. He doesn’t like goodbyes, so he always tries to disappear.” She pulled her coat off the hook and put it on, followed by her hat and gloves. “Well, tell that fucker I said goodbye, and I’m gonna kick his ass if he doesn’t come see Emma soon.”
I nodded.
The next thing I knew, she threw her arms around me, giving me a big hug. “You take care, you hear me? If you’re ever in Texas, you have a place to stay.” She released her hold on me, and the look in her eyes told me she really did mean it. So contradictory to what I’d overheard upstairs. “Also, if my brother gets moody, he’s kinda like a kid. Just feed him or make him take a nap. Works every time.”
I laughed. “Will do.”