My eyes narrow. “I can’t just calm down. How many people saw that?” I ask and point at the computer behind me.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. In this country, maybe a couple billion or so. More overseas with the time difference and all.”
“A couple billion,” I stammer. “A couple BILLION!”
Holy crap.
“I don’t know, maybe more. Baby brother goes big when he sets his mind to it.”
“Kole, look … I don’t know you, but I’m kind of freaking out right now, and I need you to be serious. Why did he do that?”
He leans forward and braces his elbows against his spread knees. “My guess is he was letting his woman know just how much he loves her. But, I mean, I guess we could have been watching something different just then.”
“You aren’t as funny as you think you are.”
His smile just widens.
“I never doubted his love, Kole.”
His expression grows serious before he speaks. “Didn’t you?”
“Me leaving wasn’t about that.” I sigh. “I know he loves me. He just didn’t love me enough to give me all of him.”
He stands and walks over to me. I look up into his somber face. “I’m pretty sure, Willow, that he just did.”
I bite back a groan of frustration. “That’s not what I meant. He’s keeping something from me.”
He nods, a dark flash of understanding in his eyes. “Yeah, but maybe ask yourself if he’s keeping it from you to protect you just as much as he is trying to protect the others involved. He wasn’t just telling the world that he loves them. It was you. Let that be enough to hear him out.”
If only it were that easy.
TEN MINUTES OF PACING INSIDE of Kole’s office wasn’t enough to prepare me for Kane when he burst through the door, slamming the heavy wood against the wall with his force.
I almost jump out of my skin and can barely hear Kole laughing through the loud roar of blood rushing through my body. Kane steps into the room and his wild eyes hold me still until he reaches out to pull me to his body. His arms wrap around me as he bends his body to curl around me. His large frame dwarfs mine as his trembling body holds tight.
My hands come around him, and I fist his shirt, breathing him in and trying to calm my racing heart.
I’m not sure how long we stand there, but when he pulls back, I can see the distress deep in his eyes. “I’m so sorry.” His voice quivers and his eyes beg me to forgive him.
“I know, Kane. I know.”
“I fucking hate this, Willow. Hate knowing that I’m causing you pain and that I could have done everything a lot differently, but you have to know I’m not keeping things from you to be cruel. I’ve been beating myself up about this, but I couldn’t say anything. It is just so much bigger than our lives.”
I nod. “You couldn’t or you can’t?” The sadness I had felt earlier ebbing slightly at his words. My earlier courage to face this head-on gives me the drive to push through, even though I’m terrified of what will come to light.
Will I lose the man I love? Why is this baby such a secret that he couldn’t tell me before now? I just can’t figure out what piece of the puzzle I couldn’t find to fit the whole picture together.
“Couldn’t.”
I give him a small nod but wait for him to say more. He doesn’t ease his hold on my body, almost as if he’s afraid I’m going to bolt if he does.
“I tried, baby. God, I tried to tell you, but you have to understand that I had given my word to Mia that she could trust me with something this big long before we ever started our relationship.”
“How could you have tried, Kane? You avoided talking about your relationship any time that I asked. I gave you the trust you asked for. I even spoke to her myself. I can’t see how hard it was to just tell me.”
“Maybe I can answer that.” I jump in his arms when the female voice intrudes into our moment.
My eyes round and his own beg me silently to hear her out. To listen to what they both have to say. My stomach heaves violently when Mia walks into the room.
I feel seconds away from hyperventilating when she walks the rest of the way from the doorway to where Kane is still holding me. My skin flushing hot and cold so rapidly that it’s making me ill.
Her dark blond hair is pulled back into a sloppy mess of a bun, and her tired face is still gorgeous in its natural beauty. Her green eyes imploring as she stops just a few feet from us. I allow myself to look down and that sick seed of dread bursts inside me until I feel like it’s going to explode from my mouth.
Her clothes are baggy and more for comfort than anything else. Black leggings, boots, and a simple tee shirt. But it’s the shirt, wrinkled and loose everywhere except where it stretches tight against her swollen belly, which holds my attention.
“I wish we could have finally met under more pleasant circumstances, but it’s still lovely to finally meet the woman who makes Kane so happy.”