Risking Fate (Mitchell Family #4)(64)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I don’t know what came over me, but I snapped my head in his direction. “Then tell me how you go from feelin’ that way about someone to shoving your face between her legs and doing something to her that I will never be able to forgive you for.”

His eyes got real big and he just stared at me. Finally he sighed and looked down at his feet. Once more, I tried to pull my hand away, but he pulled it even tighter. “When I went inside, I sat right down on her couch. She took the bait at first and really thought you kicked me out, especially when you sent me the texts. I have to admit, even though I knew they were coming, I still couldn’t handle reading your words. They were harsh.”

The more Ty talked the more it made no sense how he ended up sleeping with her. From how he was explaining things, it seemed like she made him ill. “I’m not following, Ty. What changed?”

His thumb started rubbing my hand again. “I did my best trying to convince her that I was there because you and I were done. The more I tried the more she questioned me. She even asked me if I was trying to trick her into giving me the papers. Finally, she told me that…..,” He sat down and scooted his chair over to my bedside. Our fingers intertwined together and he focused on my hands when he started to speak again. “She told me that I had to kiss her.”

“We talked about that. I told you that if you had to do it to make her believe you, then you should.”

He shook his head. “I know and I tried, but the moment her lips touched mine, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I didn’t want to be there. I felt sick, so I ran out of the room. When I finally got myself together, she was having more doubts about my intentions. She offered to get me a drink to settle my nerves. Miranda, the last thing I remember is drinking that drink. I swear to God that I never wanted to touch that bitch.”

This time when I pulled my hand away, he didn’t try to stop me. “Then you tell me how I have pictures of you enjoying every inch of her.”

“I don’t know. All I can think is that she put something in my drink. She had to.”

He has got to be crazy if he thinks I am going to let him talk his way out of this. I saw the pictures!

I held my hand up. “Stop! Please, I can’t hear anymore. You do realize you are telling me that you never cheated on me. The pictures show you holding her legs while you’re feasting out. Stop the bullshit lies. I’m not Van, who had no clue what you did behind her back. I know you Ty.”

He looked at me like I was causing him real pain. “I’m telling you the truth, you can ask C……”

“I can ask who? Was there a third person in the room with you? Was it a threesome?” Maybe Heather got her slutty little friend to come over. She’d done it before.

“Hell no! Jesus Christ Miranda, do you think that low of me?”

“Do you really want me to answer that right this second?” He really didn’t.

“I woke up naked in her bed and got the hell out of there. I didn’t even bother putting on a f**king shirt, Miranda. I ran out of there as fast as I could.”

I slammed my hand down on the bed. “Just stop talking, Ty. I can’t hear anymore.”

“I’m telling you the truth. Look at me. Does it look like I’m lying to you?” He did look sincere.

“Obviously, I don’t know how to read you like I thought I did. You’ve been lying to me for months. What am I supposed to think? What exactly did you think would happen? That story makes you seem so innocent in all of this, yet I saw the pictures.”

He reached for my arm and I pulled away. “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. I will spend every single day trying to prove it to you. Our family means everything to me. Tell me you at least believe that.”

I wanted to disagree with him, but it would have been a lie. I knew how much we did mean to him. In fact, I knew he would give his own life for me and the kids. It wasn’t Ty’s love that I doubted, it was his ability to be faithful to me. His story wasn’t exactly what I expected him to say. How could he make up a story that made him seem completely innocent. I would have loved for that story to be true, more than anything in the world, I wanted it, but it was just too easy. He couldn’t explain the pictures and they were what were permanently memorized in my head. “I know you love us, Ty. Your love for me is what makes all of this so hard, you know that. I don’t understand how you could love me so much, but do the one thing you knew would rip us apart.”

This time Ty got up from the chair and walked to the other side of the room. I’d seen him pace a million times, pondering on important decisions. Sometimes he would even bite his nails, but this time something was different. He’d obviously suffered the most emotional day of his life yesterday and to make matters worse, we weren’t even sure where we stood as far as our relationship.

I knew I was going home with him. I would keep that promise to him and try to make things work, but trusting Ty was going to be a feat for me. It meant everything to me and now it was gone. How was I supposed to start over?

My recovery wasn’t going to be as easy as when I had Bella. I knew I would need his help and that someone from our family would always be around. I didn’t know if Ty had told Van about what was going on, and if he did, I didn’t care. She was our best friend and I expected that, but I didn’t want anyone else to know. Sure, she would tell Colt, but they would keep it between them. Our secrets always ended up involving the four of us, which in some ways made things easier to get through. We always had someone else to talk to.

He continued to pace around my little area without speaking to me. We were both mad at each other and I wasn’t ready to make nice. I didn’t want to lose him either.

“Ty?”

“What?”

“I need you here with me right now and I need you by my side when we’re raisin’ our children. I’m goin’ to need you to fight alongside me when we go to court about Bella.” My stomach and back were starting to ache and the pain was getting to be hard to talk through. “I’m so mad at you right now, I’m not goin’ to lie about it, but I also know that I can’t live without you. I know it’s goin’ to be hard for you, but I’m askin’ you to give me time to heal. I’m askin’ you to keep lovin’ me even when I’m bein’ horrible. I can’t promise that when I’m feelin’ better I’m not goin’ to freak on you at random times. I know I pushed you to go there that night and I want to believe your story, Ty, because it would mean that you never cheated on me, but we both know I can’t.”