The Secret That Broke Us novel · Chapter 19 of 32

Chapter 19: Not Again

The girl stayed two nights, and I came back both days.

I told myself I was there for Nate's mother, who couldn't get up from the recliner without help.

On the second night the pediatric ward went quiet at ten.

Nate's mother had gone home with Lena in the passenger seat, holding her hand the whole drive, which I would not have predicted.

Anders slept in the carrier at my feet.

The girl slept in the crib by the window, flat on her back, her small chest rising and falling under the monitor leads.

Nate sat on the floor beside the crib with his arm through the bars.

He had been sitting like that for an hour.

"June," he said.

"Yes."

"Can I say something? I'll say it once. You can say no."

"You can say it."

He didn't look at me.

"I've been sleeping in the car for five weeks. I lost my job. My mother's too old to help."

He swallowed.

"You have a house. You have a couch and a spare room. I'm not asking for the bed."

I said nothing.

"I'd sleep on the floor. I'd do the night feeds for both of them. I'd pay you back every cent."

His voice cracked.

"Please let me come home. Let me be a father to the kids, and I'll earn it. I'll earn you."

There it was.

I had known it was coming for three weeks.

It still hurt to hear it said so kindly.

"No," I said.

"June..."

"No, Nate."

"I'll sleep in the garage."

"You can sleep wherever you want," I said. "Not in my house."

Keep reading free with an account. Start The Secret That Broke Us from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.