Page 132 of Hollywood

“Gone where? Tex, please just look at me.”

He turned slowly, but he still wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I covered a bill for my dad. I thought he’d pay me back, but…”

That’s what this was about? Money?

“Okay, so how short are we?”

“My full half of the rent.” He began to pace again. “I let you down. I’m sorry. I know you can’t cover the bills on your own. It’s the whole reason I moved in, and now I can’t even help with that, because I’malwaysfucking everything up. I tried to warn you, Holls! It’s all I know how to do.”

His voice grew harder with each word, angrier. All of it directed at himself.

“Hey. Whoa. Will you sit down for a minute? Please?”

He moved toward me slowly, as if each step tookmonumental effort. Like the floor was mud and sucking at his shoes. But he got there, finally. Lowered himself to perch on the edge of the sofa.

I squeezed his shoulder. It was as hard as a stone.

“Okay, now tell me where this is coming from. You’re amazing. You’ve helped me so much with Ruby.” I continued to knead his muscle until it softened a little. “I probablyoweyou your half of the rent or more in childcare.”

“That wasn’t our deal.”

“I know. I’m just saying, you give me a lot. So, we’ve got a setback. We’ll figure it out together.”

He chanced a look up at me, eyes searching, and licked his lips. “I tried to get an advance at work, but my boss is out for the week. I could try one of those payday loan places.”

“No way. Those places prey on the poor. The interest rates are outrageous.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I know. But it’d buy us some time. If I’d thought of it before, I would have just done that and saved you the worry.”

“The hell you would!” My hand tightened on his shoulder, making him wince. I forced myself to relax my grip. I wasn’t mad he lost the rent. I wasn’t even angry when I thought he might leave me. Devastated, sure. Heartbroken, without a doubt. But notangry. The idea of Tex carrying this worry alone, though? That wasn’t okay.

He flinched from my expression. “What?”

“Tex, shit happens. Things don’t go as planned. That’s life, right? But you’ve got to talk to me. We should be solving our problems together. That’s what couples do. You do still want that, don’t you?”

“That’s all I want.”

“Then you’ve got to trust me with the hard things, too. Not just the easy, happy ones.”

“I’m sorry,” he rasped. “I just didn’t want to disappoint you. I’ve disappointed my dad so many times, and I didn’t want to screw up the same way with you. Because you’re everything to me, Holls. You and Ruby. I lost my dad. I don’t want to lose you too.”

“What do you mean, you lost your dad?”

He swallowed hard, throat moving. “He came to the greenhouse last night. Said he’d pay me if I stole a few supplies for him.” His expression hardened. “I couldn’t do that. The Wildes are good people, and I can’t risk going back to prison.”

Fucking hell. I rubbed my chest, my heart aching for Tex.

“I can’t believe he asked you to do that. I had no idea he was such an asshole.”

Tex barked a laugh, but there was no humor in it. His eyes were bleak when they met mine. “He blames me for losing his business.” He shrugged. “He’ll always blame me. But it doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“Why wouldn’t it matter?”

“Because after our fight last night and me telling him about you, I don’t think we’ll be talking again.” He blinked hard. “Um, I think he’s done with me.”

Holy shit.

I put a hand on his leg. “Tex, are you saying that you came out to your dad last night?”