Donovan (Face-Off 3)

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”

“I thought you were going to send him something not show up at his door.”

“What difference does it make?” I wipe back the tears running down my cheek with the back of my hand and sniff. “Either way, I found out about his lovechild and mystery woman. I can’t believe he did this to me.”

“You were the one playing with him, Syd.” Now, she sounds annoyed with me. “What did you think was going to happen? That he would wait around for you for the rest of his life? I told you he wouldn’t put up with that crap, and you didn’t listen to me.”

“I just…I can’t believe he has a kid. Don’t you think that’s something he would have thought to tell me in the time we spent together?”

Kennedy sighs into the receiver. “Some people keep their secrets locked up and throw away the key. Tyler did the same thing with me. Remember the day he threw me out of his house because I had asked him if the pictures of that boy on his mantle were of his son?”

> “Yes,” I mutter, knowing where she’s going with this.

“Well, it turned out that the boy was his son.”

This is an unexpected turn of events. “Wait. I thought you said he wasn’t Tyler’s son. I was sitting on the couch next to you when you did most of your research.”

“I didn’t find it until later that week. I had kept digging until I finally found the adoption papers. Blake is Tyler’s son, but the kid has no idea. I even met Blake and his adoptive parents.”

“How come you never told me about any of this? What else are you hiding?” I blow out a puff of air, annoyed. “Does no one trust me with their secrets? It’s not like I would have gone around and blabbed about Tyler and his son. Did you not trust me enough to tell me?”

“It has nothing to do with you, Syd. The world does not revolve around you. I had promised Tyler I wouldn’t tell anyone, including you. I’m sorry, but it was not my secret to share. Tyler doesn’t want anyone to know other than those who are close to him.”

“And I’m one of them?”

“You’re going to be the godmother to our child, so I would say that makes you part of his inner circle now. Anyway, let’s not fight about this. The reason I was calling was to invite you over to our house for brunch on Sunday.”

“It’s weird to hear you say our house so soon,” I confess, a little jealous that Kennedy has found someone great to spend her life with and wishing I had that for myself.

“Well, Tyler might’ve bought this house, but it wasn’t a home until I moved in.”

“What time on Sunday?” I ask, crossing the bridge into Philadelphia.

“I was thinking around eleven or so. You know, brunch time.”

“Getting away from the city for a girl’s day is just what I need. I’ll bring the mimosas,” I announce, excited to see Kennedy this weekend.

We never get enough time together anymore, and I miss her like crazy. With my only friend living so far away, it leaves me with a lot of time to myself. It’s also more time for me to think about Carter and cry myself to sleep for being so stupid. At least now, I know why Carter wouldn’t be honest with me when I had asked him about his past. We all have one, and while some are darker than others, I was hoping Carter would let me in.

“You’ll be drinking them alone. I have a while before I can have another drink.”

“Don’t worry, babe,” I snort. “After the week I have had, I will have no problem polishing off a few bottles on my own. You can drink vicariously through me. I plan to drink like a frat boy during rush week.”

She laughs. “Well, don’t get too wild. I want Tyler to get to know the real you. You made quite the impression the first time.”

“Hey, I behaved myself that night.”

“Did you?” I know Kennedy so well I swear I can hear the condescending smirk forming on her lips. “You were upstairs in the guest bedroom, masturbating with Carter. I wouldn’t exactly call that making a good first impression. On either of them.” The way she emphasizes them makes me cringe.

Both Carter and Tyler must think I’m the same as one of their puck bunnies. And I’m not, which makes me frown at the thought. While I stopped myself from attacking Carter the night we met, I didn’t act like a lady. In fact, I acted like a whore who couldn’t keep her legs shut and needed a fix.

I was out of my mind that night. I still am. Carter does things to my mind and body that even I cannot fathom. I’m wild about him. And I want him to tame me, make me his. Too bad I lost him. Too bad he has another woman and a baby. Just when I think I couldn’t get any lower than I have in the past.

Hello, rock bottom, my new best friend.

“You made your point,” Kennedy, I groan. “I get it. I was an idiot for doing the things I did with Carter. We have chemistry together, and I don’t know…I couldn’t stop myself. He was too irresistible.”

“It’s a shame it didn’t work out for you. You guys looked cute together.”