Claim My Heart

Chapter 11

I had never completely understood the way I felt about Tyler. The extent of my feelings towards him was beyond any reason. I didn't understand it, and at some point, I had stopped questioning it.

But one thing I knew with certainty was that the way I felt about him—this different, new way that grew on me without me realizing—was one of the most powerful things I had ever felt in my life.

Powerful, scary, and utterly consuming.

That was why when he decided to walk away from me...from us, it felt like a betrayal like no other.

"Why?" I whispered, breaking the silence. "Why did you push me away? And for once I need a straight answer from you, no bullshit."

He walked closer to me. A picture of masculinity and stubbornness... his strong jaw tensed as our gazes met, his brown eyes flashing with possessiveness as he took me in, those eyes that shielded a million little secrets from me. His hands curled into fists as though he was trying to keep himself away from me. 

That desire was entirely mutual.

"It's a long and complicated story." He sighed.

Of course.

"A short and straight answer, Tyler. Don't beat around the bush, " I snapped.

He raised a hand to brush my cheek with the back of his fingers, almost like he couldn't help himself, making my fickle heart falter. 

But he quickly stepped away, his hand dropping to his side, and gave me a tight nod. "Andrew Stone is in love with my Mom. Has been for a long time." 

Holy shit balls. 

I did not expect that. 

I blinked. Blinked some more. And then cleared my throat. "Okay. I might need the longer version."

He let out a wry chuckle and shook his head, before leaning against a wall. With his gaze trained on the floor, he started talking in a monotonous voice, "You already know that my Dad and Andrew were friends since high school. My mom went to the same high school too and Andrew always had a thing for her, but she chose my Dad, so he respected that and kept his distance. He tried to move on to save his friendship with my Dad. Flash forward to a few years down the road, where both my Dad and him were happily married with a kid. But my parents started having trouble in their marriage. With my Dad's business expanding, he stayed away from home a lot, and when he was home they were always fighting. 

"I don't know how it happened, Mom claims that she doesn't remember exactly, but she started spending more time with Andrew. He lent her a shoulder to cry on in my Dad's absence, as a friend, of course. They started going out for lunch, dinners, spending more time..." He trailed off, letting out an exhausted sigh.

"D-did she cheat on your Dad?" I asked, softly.

"No. Not physically. Emotionally? I don't know. She was hurt, vulnerable and lonely in my Dad's long absences. And Andrew was just...there. Eventually, my Dad caught wind of this new development. He always knew of Andrew's feelings for my Mom. So he assumed the worst and refused to trust her. Things got worse and on one fine drunken night my Dad met Julian's biological mother and you know what happened there." He glanced at me for a moment and I nodded.