Page 150 of Torn

“Fix this?” he repeats. “Fix this? You think you can fix the factthat you betrayed me? Lied to me? Put your hands on my little girl? I have no idea who you even are. She’s a kid, Tor.”

“She’s not. Open your fucking eyes, Ash. She’s just like you. She knows exactly what she wants. She always has. She’s not some giddy, stupid-ass teen.”

He’s not hearing any of it. “No. You’ve messed with her head. Why, Tor? Sydni wasn’t good enough? Or Lisa? Or any other girl in this town? You had to seduce an innocent girl who looked up to you, adored you, and trusted you? How the hell do you even sleep at night? You’re a fucking psycho just like your sicko of a brother. At least he has the decency to hide.”

His words snap my brain and I can’t control myself anymore as I ram my fist into the side of his face. “Don’t talk about my family, Ash. I’ll fuckin’ bury you.” I grab his throat and push him up against the wall, effortlessly lifting him off his feet and choking him. “I love you, man. I let you get your punches in, but I’ll choke the shit out of you right now if you push me.”

His hands close around mine and I watch his eyes start to bulge and redden before I let him go. He staggers away, gasping and glaring at me with even more repulsion.

“I love her,” I say. “She loves me. I’m going to marry her someday when she’s ready. I know you’re pissed. I would be, too. And I’m really fuckin’ sorry. But maybe try to think about the fact thatyoupicked me to care for her and love her, and I did just that. Our feelings grew with us and nothing and no one can change that. Not even you. I will never, ever hurt her.” I take a deep breath, pain tearing through my chest and ribs, and I soften my tone, hoping he’ll hear my words and believe them. I need him to accept us or it’s going to break Kenzi’s heart. And mine. “I know you can’t see it now, man. But your daughter has someone in her life who loves her and cares about her just as much as you do. I’ll nevercheat on her or treat her bad. I’ll support anything and everything she wants to do. She’s safe with me.Always.Maybe someday you’ll be glad your best friend has someone to love him, too.”

His expression stays hard. “You’re out of your fucking mind. I’ll never forgive you for this. After everything I’ve done for you, you stabbed me right in the back and in my heart.” He spits a mouthful of blood onto my carpet. “You’re fucking dead to me, Tor. I don’t ever want to see your lying, deceitful face again. And you can bet your ass I’m going to do whatever I can in my power to keep Kenzi away from you and try to undo the damage you’ve done to her head. Do yourself a favor; stay the fuck away from her. Let her be a kid and grow up and date and have fun.”

“She doesn’t want that.”

“Youdon’t want that. Don’t be a selfish prick. Let her grow up and make adult choices.”

“Like you did with Ember?” I throw back. “She was fourteen when she got pregnant. You going to stand there and tell me either one of you ever regretted being together and having Kenzi?”

“No, we didn’t. But we were both kids and we were dumb and in love. You’re a fucking adult. You’ve had your chance to have fun and sleep with all sorts of women and make mistakes and figure out what and who you want in life. Kenzi’s lived in a bubble. I don’t want her strapped down to you.”

“Like I’m so fucking bad?”

“Well, you couldn’t keep Sydni happy, could ya?” he reminds me with a smirk.

I don’t even let that comment bother me. “Sydni thinks she’s a bag of potato chips that needs to be passed around. That’s got nothing to do with me, man. Kenzi is in an entirely different league than Sydni.”

His nostrils flare in anger as he moves toward my front door.“Stay away from my kid. If you really do love her? Let her go and give her a chance to grow up.”

I open the door and shove him hard through it. “Get the hell out of my house.”

He takes two steps out and then turns to me with an evil grin. “Oh, you just reminded me I hold the mortgage to this house. That makes itmyhouse. You’ve got two weeks to pay what’s owed or get your ass out of it.” He waves at me as he walks toward his car. “Good luck, douchebag.”

Fuck.

I punch the wall and fall to the floor in emotional and physical agony.

I just lost my best friend. And now I’m going to lose my home because I’m pretty sure I don’t have seventy-five thousand dollars lying around.

Next will be Kenzi.

I can feel it deep in my gut. He’s going to do whatever he can to keep her away from me, and he’ll succeed, because Asher just has that kind of natural persuasive power over people.

As I lie in pain with the dog and the kitten on my lap, falling in and out of a sense of consciousness, I wonder if what he said is right.

Maybe I’m supposed to let her go.

CHAPTER 34

Kenzi—age one month

Tor—age fifteen

Ember—age fifteen

“There you are,” Ember whispers, coming into the nursery.

She peeks into the baby’s crib, and then looks me over, sitting in the rocking chair two feet away.