She shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”
“I thought we were going to be friends. Everyone needs friends,” I say. I know I’m pushing her, but if I let her walk away now, I’ll never see her again.
Her eyes fall closed, and she makes a pained noise. “I can’t just be your friend. I don’t know how.”
Hope blooms in my chest for the first time in a week. She didn’t say she couldn’t be friends. She said she couldn’t just be friends. That means she wants more with me, and she’s denying herself for some reason.
“What do you mean, doll?” I ask, not wanting any more misunderstandings between us.
“It means I suck at casual, okay? I can’t do it. It was a mistake to even try.”
“Then fuck casual. We can be more than that. I want more than that.” If there’s a hint of pleading in my tone, I don’t care. I want her, and I’m not leaving here without her.
“Now’s not a good time,” she says, watching her son as he pulls several boxes of cereal off the shelf.
“Because of him?” I ask. I need to get to the bottom of her hesitation.
“Among other things, but yes. Henry has to be my top priority.”
“I’m not asking you to change your priorities. There’s room in your life for both of us. It’s not an all-or-nothing kind of thing.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t want to date someone with the kind of baggage I come with. Just let it go, Axel. Let me go.” Her last words are said in a pleading tone.
I should walk away. Be the bigger man and listen, but I’m not the bigger man right now. I’m a desperate man who will stop at nothing to get his woman back.
“I can’t just walk away. Not now that I found you.” A single tear falls from her eye and trails down her cheek. I quickly swipe it away. “Don’t cry, babygirl.”
She sucks in a breath, and her eyes widen. She’s about to say something when Henry walks between us, his arms laden with cereal boxes.
“Got the cereal, mommy,” he says proudly.
She shakes her head in amusement, taking the boxes from his arms. “Are you sure we need all of these?” she asks him.
“Yep! I got all the good ones.”
Most parents would probably argue and put the cereal back, but Addy just ruffles his hair and adds the boxes to her cart. She obviously has a hard time saying no to her little boy.
A devious thought occurs to me, and before I can talk myself out of it, I’m kneeling down and tapping Henry on the shoulder. He turns to me and gives me a weary look.
“Hey, little man. I was wondering if you and your mommy would like to get some ice cream with me.”
His little eyes light up, and he looks up at Addy. “Can we, mommy?”
Her eyes narrow as she looks at me, knowing she’s officially been had. “You don’t play fair,” she says to me.
“All’s fair in love and war,” I say.
“And this is neither,” she replies.
“Says you.”
Henry pulls on her shirt, bouncing around, saying ‘please’ over and over again.
She lets out a frustrated sigh, glaring at me. “Okay, okay. We’ll go get ice cream.”
“Yay!” Henry says, clapping his hands in excitement.
CHAPTERTWELVE