Page 169 of Fierce-Colson

He’d just stood there. Waiting. Thinking.

Trying to figure out how the hell you told a kid something like this.

The front door opened and closed, and relief hit him harder than he expected.

“Marly?” he heard Bella call from the living room.

“Hey, Bella,” Marly said.

“How come you’re here? Why aren’t you at work?”

He walked out, looked up when she stepped into the house further. She’d come straight here, her eyes already searching his face.

“She came because I asked her to,” he said.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly.

“I guess,” he said. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“What’s going on?” Bella asked. “I know I’m not in trouble. I haven’t even left the house to do anything.”

Bella’s eyes were bouncing back and forth between them.

Marly’s hand brushed his arm, telling him they had this.

“We’ll do it together.”

He nodded once because that was the only way he was getting through this.

It felt like déjà vu all over again.

They moved into the living room.

Bella was exactly where he’d left her earlier, stretched out on the couch with her leg elevated on pillows, her crutches leaning against the arm. The TV was on but muted while she scrolled on her phone.

“How’s the ankle?” she asked Bella, giving him time to gather how to start this.

“Better. Dr. Charm said it looks good.” Bella shrugged. “Still hurts when I stand up. I didn’t feel it though when I was talking to him. They really shouldn’t make doctors that hot.”

“Hey,” he said. “You’re too young to notice those things.”

“No, I’m not,” Bella argued. “Marly agreed with me.”

He turned and lifted his eyebrow at his girlfriend.

Marly shrugged. “Sorry. I’m not going to lie. He’s pretty sweet on the eyes.”

“Did you get the ice cream?” Bella asked. “I told Colson I wanted sundaes. You can have one with us if you want. If I’m not in trouble and you guys aren’t breaking up.” She tried to sit up straighter. “That isn’t happening, is it?”

“Yes, I got the ice cream,” he said. “No, we aren’t breaking up.”

“Good.”

He walked over and sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of Bella.

“Then what is going on?”

He rested his forearms on his knees. “Bella,” he blew out a big breath. “I got a phone call earlier today.”