Uncovering His SECRET by Crystal Perkins Read Free Book Online Page A

no
matter what happens, he’s still your father. He deserves some time
with you. I’m going to go pack a bag.”
    She apologizes to her
friends for having them come over for no reason and then goes
upstairs. Ainsley and Zack hug Ethan, and totally ignore me before
leaving.
    “I hate you.”
    “All kids say that to
their parents at some point, so I’m not going to take that
personally.”
    “You should. You told
me you wouldn’t hurt her.”
    “I said I’d try my
best not to.”
    “That wasn’t
trying. Or your best.”
    No it wasn’t, and I
need to own it. I was jealous, and I lashed out. I deserve what he
dished out to me, and more. I need to tell him that.
    “I was jealous,
Ethan. It doesn’t excuse what I said, but that’s why I did it. I
don’t want your mom kissing anyone else when I’m right here and
she could kiss me.”
    “Why would she want
to do that? So you can leave her again when another one of your
‘friends’ tells you some lie about her? You don’t deserve her
kisses, or anything else. Not when you’re taking her tears.”
    Well, damn. Schooled by
my kid, once again. And I know he’s right. I’ve been looking to
punish Tegan, but I’m not entirely blameless, either.
    “Can you go ask her
to stay? I’ll finish making dinner for all of us and apologize to
her. I know I was wrong.”
    “I’ll ask, but
don’t hold your breath.”
    * * *
    Tegan
    It shouldn’t be
taking me this long to pack one stupid overnight bag. I know it’s
not about the bag, though. I’m trying to calm down enough to go
back out there without freaking Ethan out even more than he already
is. I’m a strong, powerful woman, yet when Caleb called me those
names, I felt like I was a scared and pregnant sixteen year old girl
again. I won’t let him break me this time. I can’t.
    There’s a knock at my
door, and Ethan walks in. “Mama, don’t go. Please. He said he’ll
apologize and make us all dinner. It’s your favorite. Barbeque.”
    “I know, baby. I saw
the food when we were outside.”
    “He wants to kiss
you.”
    “What?” I ask,
finally turning around to look at my son.
    “That’s why he was
so mean. He was jealous. I don’t want you to kiss him. He doesn’t
deserve it.”
    “If and when I let
your father kiss me, it will be my decision. I love you, E, but I
have to make that choice myself.”
    “That means you’re
going to.”
    “You can’t hit him
again. That’s unacceptable.”
    “He can’t talk to
you like that.”
    “I mean it, Ethan.”
    “So do I.”
    “I’m the parent
here. This isn’t a negotiation. Or a democracy.”
    “We were fine without
him.”
    “Maybe I’d believe
that if I hadn’t seen the two of you together.”
    “Whatever. So I like
having him here. But not if it hurts you.”
    “He has a right to be
angry at me.”
    “And you have a right
to be angry at him. You’re not going around calling him bad names,
though.”
    “I did that for a lot
of years. I don’t have the energy to do it now.”
    “You never did it in
front of me like he did.”
    “If you’d gone to
your room like you were told, you wouldn’t have heard it.”
    “He said the ‘W’
word before you told me to leave.”
    “You’re still being
punished. No video games for a week.”
    “Fine,” he says
with his arms crossed and his expression still stormy.
    “I know it is. Now go
downstairs and help him with dinner. I’ll be down after I change.”
    “You should leave
your dress on. He likes it.”
    “I thought you didn’t
want me to kiss him.”
    “I don’t, but since
you’re going to anyway, you might as well look pretty.”
    “I don’t look
pretty in jeans and a t-shirt?”
    “This is one of those
life lessons about talking to girls, isn’t it? I’m supposed to
say you look pretty no matter what, right?”
    “Yes, that’s
exactly what you’re supposed to say.”
    “Mama, you are the
most beautiful girl ever,” he says, batting his eyes at me.
    I pull him to me