“You good?” a voice I recognize as Royce’s asks.
“No. Can you and the others come up to my bedroom?”
“Brothers?” Royce asks.
“Yes.”
“On our way.”
“What are you doing?” Why is he calling his brothers? This is between us.
“I want you to ask them anything you want to know. They were there with me when I made the decision to keep it from you. They warned me it was a bad idea, but I didn’t listen. All I cared about was seeing you happy. I wanted to see that smile light up your face and the stress that life kept tossing at you to disappear.”
“That wasn’t your choice, Marshall. I’m an adult. I’d been doing just fine on my own.”
“You were getting by,” he says softly. “I agree that you were doing the best you could with what you had, but I could make it all better for you.”
“I could afford day care on my new salary.”
He nods. “I know. That was what my brothers tried to tell me as well, but I wanted to do it. I wanted to help take care of Maddie. Look, I know I lied to you, but I promise you it was all out of love. It crushed me to see you struggling. I was constantly thinking of ways to get you to move in with me so you could stop walking up three flights of stairs multiple times a day. I begged you for weeks to drive my car instead of walking. Can’t you see? I just wanted to help you.”
“You lied to me.” I know I’m stuck on that, but it bears repeating. “How do I know you’re not lying to me about everything else? How do I know you’re not marrying me out of pity? You claim to love me but is it just this hero complex that you have? I mean, that’s how we met, right? The almighty Marshall Riggins swoops in and saves the day.” I see the pain in his eyes from my words, and if it was guilt I was feeling before, this feeling gripping my heart in my chest is shame, and regret, and remorse for my words.
I know he loves me, and I believe him, but this anger, it’s speaking for me and ignoring my heart.
If I’m being honest with myself, part of my reaction is fear. I’ve never loved anyone the way that I love Marshall. Losing Travis killed me, but I survived. I put one foot in front of the other and moved on. I didn’t have a choice. With Marshall, if I were to lose him, no matter what the reason, I don’t know that I could do it. I don’t know if I could pick up the pieces and keep on pushing forward in life.
“You know that’s not true.”
“Do I?” I ask automatically, as there’s a knock at the door. They don’t wait for permission to come in. No, instead, Royce, Owen, Grant, and Conrad all walk into the room wearing weary expressions. Great, just what I need. Five Riggins men are looking at me like a firing squad.
Chapter 27
Marshall
My brothers walk in and I plead with them with my eyes to help me. My chest feels tight and there’s a fracture in my heart that only she can heal. I was wrong. I know that. I knew it when I lied to her, but it truly was coming from a good place. I just wanted to make her life easier. I had the means to do it, and I wanted to. Besides, Madeline is my daughter. I don’t see an issue with me paying for her childcare. And as far as college goes, there’s nothing I want to see more than to watch the woman I love to chase her dreams. I just need to prove that to her.
“What’s going on?” Conrad asks.
“Wren knows I’ve been paying for Maddie’s day care,” I tell him. All four of my brothers nod in understanding. “I also told her about the tuition, that it’s only a 50 percent reimbursement.”
“We tried to tell you.” Grant shakes his head.
“I know you did. Now can you please tell her what I told you when you tried to change my mind?” I wait as my brothers look between each other, then back to where I’m standing next to Wren. Her body is rigid, and I want to pull her into my arms and kiss the hell out of her. I want to kiss her until she forgets that I fucked up. I want to kiss her until she’s ready to walk down those stairs and marry me.
“You said you wanted to change her life like she changed yours.” It’s Owen who speaks up.
Wren’s shoulders begin to shake. I reach out to hold her, but she steps just out of my reach.