Say Yes (Something More) Read Online Free PDF Page A

hand across his twitchy nose. He cries out as he struggles with the cords attached to his arm. I hate those cords. I want to rip them to shreds and steal Tyler from this room, taking him far away from the blinking lights and needles.
    “Hey, baby,” I say as I look down at him. “It’s okay.”
    He heaves a little sigh and looks up at me. Then he flashes the most adorable, yet pitiful smile. “Teeny,” he squeals through a raspy voice.
    I will not cry. I. Will. Not. Cry.
    He sucks his thumb as he continues to stare up at me with droopy eyes. I notice his eye color has changed over the past few weeks. His blue irises now have a distinct shade of bright green circling the edges, just like Jackson’s. I’m painfully reminded that this baby is the result of two people whom I once loved stabbing me in the back. I shrug off that disheartening thought as Ty leans into me. His eyelids flutter and then close as he snuggles against me.
    “You should have been his mom,” Jackson whispers beside me.
    His admission makes my limbs turn to ice. How can he say that to me after what he’s done?
    “You shouldn’t have cheated on me,” I answer coolly.
    “I know.” Jackson’s voice is dark and brooding.  It is as close to a “sorry” as I am ever going to get.
    “So, you still seeing that, uhhh, Latino dude?” Jackson cringes and takes a step back, as if he doesn’t want to know the answer.
    I turn my back on him and smile down at Tyler, who is now sleeping soundly in my arms. “His name is Andrés, and yes, I’m still seeing him.”
    “You two serious?” A familiar nasal whine slips into his voice, and he’s standing far too close. I flip my ponytail over my shoulder and scoot away, although the room is so small, I’m practically pressing against the window as I look down at the headlights whizzing by in the busy traffic below. Jackson is still too close for comfort, and I can almost imagine his hot, stinky breath singing the hairs off my neck.
    “Yes,” I say, keeping my tone harsh and foreboding. Just like Jackson’s breath. Gawd, the stench from his gum disease is filling up the small space around me. I feel like I’m choking on gas fumes as I restrict my breathing to shallow gasps. How in the heck did I date this guy for so long? No wonder I puked during sex. I’d thought it was a mental thing, but maybe my gag-ometer had been tired of working overtime.
    “Guess I missed that boat, huh?” Jackson laughs. It’s a nervous laugh, and beneath his shaky voice there is a growing desperation.
    I don’t risk turning around until he stops laughing. I know he’s just pushing more bad breath around our cramped space with each chuckle.
    “You didn’t miss it,” I say, features frozen as I continue to stare out the window. “You sank it.”
    There’s a long stretch of silence, and the only sound between us is the rattle through Jackson’s nose.
    Well, at least one of us gets to enjoy the luxury of breathing. 
    “This guy better be good to you,” he finally says.
    Just then, Andrés emerges from the bar below. He scans the road before looking up at the hospital. I stifle a gasp. I know he can’t see through the reflective glass, but for a moment, I imagine he’s looking up at me. He stretches and then covers his mouth as he yawns. I know it’s late, and he needs his sleep. Damn. I feel bad for keeping him up so long, and yet he doesn’t complain about waiting outside the hospital for me while I take care of my former fiancé’s baby.
    “Don’t worry,” I say, and despite the stifling air around me, I can’t help but smile. “He is.”
    “Is that whom you were texting?”
    I think it’s funny the way Jackson emphasizes the word “whom” as if he’s been practicing all week to impress me with his grammar. Maybe he’s forgotten we had the same professor for English 101, and I ended up doing most of his homework.
    “It’s none of your business whom I text,” I snap. I turn and narrow my eyes.