Where We Belong (A Touch of Fate #1)(56)

What? He's jealous? Okay, I know I've had a few drinks, but I have no idea what he's talking about. Who the hell is he jealous of? Despite my complete confusion, I don't miss the fact that he never told me I was wrong about Avery.

He turns back to me. "I want it to be me, Harley. I want to be with you." His voice is strong and firm, and his determined eyes bore into mine. "I want to be the one that gets to kiss you good night. I want to be the one to make you breakfast in the morning. Not him. Not Max," he says, shaking his head angrily.

Thoughts…meet brick wall.

What the what?

What the hell is he talking about?

He lowers his head in defeat at my silence and wipes a hand across his face while my heart clenches in my chest.

"Max?" I ask slowly, trying to make sure I heard him correctly.

"Yes, Max. You know…oh-he's-so-handsome, he's-doing-great, Max." His voice is laced with hurt and sarcasm, and it pisses me off because he is oh-so-f*cking wrong. I glance at Quinn and she cocks an I-told-you-to-tell-him eyebrow at me. Then it hits me…this is my fault. I never told him I have a son. I never told him about Max.

I'm mad and hurt and pissed and every other negative emotion known to man. But mostly, I'm angry with myself. Maybe if I had been up front with him, none of this would have happened. But his sarcastic words ring in my ears, and as much as I know I should be gentle and truthful, I just can't.

"Oh my God, you're joking, right?" I ask mockingly. "You're jealous of Max? You don't even know who Max is," I spit.

Tyson's eyes swirl with emotion. He's watching me, waiting to see what I'll do or say next. Well, I hope he's watching closely, because I'm about to rock his f*cking world and then he's going watch me walk right out that door.

"Uh-oh," I hear Levi whisper. "She's going to do it."

"She is soooo doing it," Quinn replies.

"What? What's she doing?" Avery whispers.

"She's going to tell him who Max is."

"I was right," Avery says, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. "Max isn't her boyfriend." Levi and Quinn both shake their head. Tyson appears completely oblivious to the conversation that just took place behind him.

Well, let's go down in flames, shall we? With tears racing down my face, I open myself up, allowing him to see every emotion that I'm feeling. In fact, if he looks close enough, I'm fairly certain he could see my soul.

Stepping up to Tyson, I take a deep cleansing breath, which doesn't really help. "Max isn't my boyfriend." My voice is laced with venom when I go in for the kill, "He's my son."

Tyson's face pales. His chocolate eyes darken and nervously roam my face, looking for some sign that I'm lying. He's not going to find one. His body sags as the truth sinks in, and I can see tears glisten in his eyes under the dim lighting. He doesn't move. He doesn't respond or try to touch me. He just stands there—frozen.

Just before I push past him to walk out the door, I see a million emotions flash across his grief-stricken face: disbelief, pain, grief, regret, acceptance, hope, and then confusion. But I don't wait. Shameful tears prick my eyes as I push my way out of the bathroom and through the throngs of bodies, trying to exit the bar.

I should have stayed. I should have let him come to grips with what I just threw at him. I'm sure he has a million and one questions and he's going to want answers. But I've had enough for tonight. I want to go home, curl up in bed, and go to sleep. I'm going to spend tomorrow wallowing in my pain, and then I'm going to pull myself together, pick myself up off the ground, and dust myself off. Because let's face it, this is my fault. I should have been up front with him from the beginning.

I unlock the car, drop into the front passenger seat, and lean my head against the window. So much for a fun night out. I know Quinn won't be long, and since we've been drinking, I'm certain Levi will be hot on her heels.

Just before Levi slides behind the wheel and Quinn gets in the back, I remind myself to never let Max leave for the weekend again. Leaning forward, Quinn gently strokes my hair. Levi reaches across the center console and squeezes my thigh reassuringly before he starts the car and pulls away. Neither one of them says a word— they don't have to. They've been down this road with me before, and they're prepared to go down it with me now. I just pray to God that I never have to go down it again.





IT’S BEEN TWO DAYS since Harley told me that Max is her son. She has a son. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that. I can’t believe I never found out about him. I mean, my parents are friends with her parents, for Christ’s sake. Granted, they moved out of town after Dallas’ death, but I’m sure they still keep in contact. And Levi—f*cking Levi. I shouldn’t be surprised that he never told me. It’s obvious that his loyalty lies with Harley, and if I had to guess, she probably told him to keep his mouth shut.

I’ve spent the last eighteen hours thinking about him…thinking about Max. What does he look like? Does he have Harley’s green eyes? Does he look like his dad? Who is his dad? Is the guy still in the picture?

I want to meet him. I need to meet him. It’s the weirdest thing, but once she told me she has a son, I got this incredibly strong urge to spend time with him. It’s almost as though we have this strange connection and I’m being pulled to him. At first, I thought the urge was simply because Harley has always been a huge part of my life and it’s natural to want to know her children. But I…I just don’t know how to explain it. I just need to meet him. And I need to talk to her.