“To bed.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like what?”
I threw my hands out. “You haven’t said a word to me since I told you my… unfortunate news.”
“You know I’m not a chatterbox.”
“I need to know how you feel.” I twisted my fingers together. “Are you angry at me because of this?”
A mixture of sadness and confusion crossed his face. “Angry at you? How could I be angry about something you can’t control?”
I glanced across at Tate, who was slowly getting to his feet. I gritted my teeth.
“For crying out loud, Lou. It’s barely been an hour since you told us. You need to give me more time to process this. I’m sad for you, forus!I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say I hadn’t entertained the idea of having a family with you. But there’s no way I’m angry.”
“She told you about her infertility?” Tate glanced at me. “About how we’ll never have a continuing Rawlins’ line?”
I was vaguely aware of Harris and Eric joining us from other areas in the house as I resisted the urge to slap Tate. “Don’t you have a cousin to entertain?”
Tate glared at me as he slid his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. “He’s on a plane back to France for the holiday.”
Royce shot Tate a withering glance. “Our line is what’s important to you, not our girl?”
“I never said that,” Tate snapped.
“She told me what happened.” Eric folded his arms across his solid chest. “The way you treated her when she told you was beyond the pale, Tate.”
Byron jabbed his finger in his eldest brother’s direction. “Whatever he said to you, I promise it’s not the same as what’s going on in my mind right now. But it’s not something I can articulate yet, because I’m still trying to make sense of my emotions. Can’t I be a little sad, Lou? Can’t I grieve the loss of a possibility that I saw for us? That we all did?”
Harris raised an eyebrow. “Speak for yourself, bro. I’m happy being childless.”
I twisted my mouth up as I thought about Byron’s words. After a moment, I nodded. “You’re right, Byron. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
Tate sighed. “For the record, I’m not trying to be the bad guy here. I’m thinking about our future. More specifically, the future of our company, our father’s legacy, and the fact that he never wanted Rawlins Industries to fall into the hands of someone who wasn’t a family member. I know I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, Lou. But this is important to me, and it should be important to all of us.”
“There are more important things in life than the company,” Royce argued.
“This company has provided us with everything we cherish in our lives. Our home, our careers, our lifestyles, even Louisa. It. Is. Important.” Tate tapped his finger against the table three times. “That doesn’t mean it’s more important than you, Lou. But it’s up there.”
I leveled my dominant CEO with a glare. “So, where does that leave you and me, Tate?”He stared at me, his gray gaze like steel against mine. I pressed my palm to my chest. “I can’t give you the impossible. If you can give me up this easily, you never loved me in the first place.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth. I’m not giving up on us, Louisa. On the contrary, I love you with a fervor I find difficult to contain.”
“Then show her, brother.” Eric moved forward. “Show her that you love her despite the fact she can’t carry a mini Tate. Prove you can love her flaws as much as any other part of her.”
I held my hand up. “Stop, Eric.” I looked at Tate. “This isn’t about your brothers. It’s about you and me. I think we can overcome this. If we love each other enough, we can. But I said this at the Eye, and I’ll say it once again, just so we’re clear…” I squared my jaw, “… even if I could have your biological child, it wouldnotbe so you can indoctrinate them, Tate. Not in a million years. As much as Rawlins Industries is important to you, freedom of choice and the right to pursue one’s dreams is important tome, especially after what I went through over the last three years.” I glanced around the room at each and every one of my gorgeous men. “This is who I am. This is what you get. This is me, and I happen to take pride in myself. What’s important is what I’m willing to give you and the rest of the world. I’ll see you all in the morning.”
I felt their gazes on me as I retreated up the stairs to the bedrooms, but I walked with confidence, never faltered, and never looked back. I wouldn’t let any of them have power over me or my bodily autonomy.
ChapterFourteen
Tate
Lou was in the main bathroom, where she had flicked on the shower and was beginning to strip out of her clothes.
“I wish you’d stop walking away from us.”