Joshua Healy (The Mitchell/Healy Family #10)(46)

“I asked Tamsyn to move in with me.” It’s like a slap in the face.

“You what?”

“You heard me. I told you I was happy. She’s who I want to be with. Why can’t you understand that?”

“Because you still love me too. You’ll always love me.” My eyes are burning. This hurts so much. I hate being replaced. He’s supposed to always love me, forever and always.”

He’s clenching his jaw, shaking his head. “Even if I have feelings for you, they don’t compare to my relationship with Tamsyn. Am I making myself clear, Liv? There is no us. It’s over. It never should have happened.”

“Please. It’s killing me. Is this what you want? You want to break me down and hurt me? You want to treat me like I’m nothing? You’ll always be my first.”

He gets up in my face, and for a second I feel like I’ve made a breakthrough, at least until he speaks. “In all those years you never said you loved me. You said you would love me if I waited for you, but those three words were never uttered. You’re not my first everything. Tamsyn is the first woman in my life to love me. She really loves me. It’s not spiteful. It’s real.”

I’m gritting my teeth as I speak. “If it’s so damn real then why are you keeping secrets from her? If it’s so damn real why don’t you walk your ass out there and tell her you f*cked me a couple weeks ago?”

“Go to hell!” He shoves me to the side and leaves the restroom. I lean over the sink to wipe away my tears only to hear the door open. “I’ll be out in a second.”

“No need to leave,” I hear Tamsyn saying. She’s standing in that tight form-fitted outfit, her perfect little body accentuating every curve in the costume. I hate her. I hate everything about her. “We need to get something straight right now.”

I cross my arms. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Stay away from Josh, Livvy. This isn’t high school. Get over yourself. You can’t have everything you want all the time. We’re happy. He won’t let you ruin that.”

“Oh sweet Tamsyn, he already has. You’re just too blind to see it yet.”

I push her against the wall and leave the bathroom. Without causing a fuss, I quickly exit the party. I’ve planted the seed in Tamsyn’s head. She’ll start asking him questions, and pretty soon the truth will come out, even if I’m the one to make it happen.

At the end of the day I’m the one he’s supposed to be with. I love him, and there’s nothing that can keep me from wanting to convince him it’s the truth.





Chapter 21


Joshua


I’m doing everything in my power to get past my sins. I know I’ve f*cked up. A part of me wants to come clean; to tell Tamsyn what I’ve done and hope to hell she can get past it. Then I know it’s not possible, not with her past relationships. She’s been screwed over, lied to, and cheated on. I swore I wouldn’t hurt her, so I’d rather live with the burden than break her heart.

When Tamsyn comes storming out of the bathroom following Liv I’m certain she knows the truth. I prepare for everything to come crashing down on me. My heart is already racing as she nears. “Can we get out of here?”

I nod, waiting for the bomb to detonate. “If that’s what you want.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

It’s obvious she’s furious. I keep waiting for her to speak her mind, but she says nothing as we start to walk back to the house. “You okay?”

“I will be once I’m out of this costume.”

I stop her. “Hey, hang on. I think we need to talk.”

She places her hands on her hips. It’s difficult to be serious when she looks so damn amazing. “Yeah, you’re right. There’s some things I need to say to you.”

I open my arms. “I’m ready. Give it to me straight. Tell me I f*cked up. Tell me you can’t be with someone you can’t trust.”

“Josh,” she shakes her head. “I’m not mad you were in the bathroom together. Jesus, have a little faith. I trust you completely.”

Her words make this worse. She obviously doesn’t know I f*cked Liv while she was out of the country. “You put too much faith in me, babe. I’m not perfect. I make mistakes.”

“We all make mistakes. Look, this isn’t about us. You need to tell me what she said to you, because she kept going on and on that I don’t know you at all. I need to be on the same page as you. She’s trying to come between us. I can feel it. She’s up to her old games again. I have what she wants.”

I try to take her hands into mine, but she pulls away. “Talk to me, Josh.”

“It’s always the same. She says our relationship is temporary and that in some time you’ll leave me and I’ll go back to her. She’s crazy, Tamsyn. She’s jealous.”

“She is. It’s ridiculous. Why would she think we’re temporary? Does she know something I don’t?”

I’m looking right into her eyes and lying to her. Nothing could be worse than this. “No. I tell you everything.”

I feel her falling into my chest. My arms surround her petite body, and for a few seconds it’s quiet. “Do you still have feelings for her, Josh?”